


For My People (especially for you)

by emilyszuko



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mutants, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Dark!Felicity, Don't Have To Know Anything About Xmen To Read, F/M, Gen, Slow Burn, X-Men References
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 14:45:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13683813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyszuko/pseuds/emilyszuko
Summary: Felicity Smoak is a powerful mutant tasked with the responsibility of running an underground organization for mutants on the run. When Oliver Queen comes into her life, everything changes.





	1. First Time's A Bitch

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I literally came up with this idea like 2 days ago? And I just had to write it. Please keep a few things in mind:
> 
> I took inspiration for some of the scenes and events from the pilot episode of The Gifted, but as it goes on to chapter 2, all scenes will be original.  
> There's a slightly graphic scene that I don't completely feel as if is THAT graphic but some readers may find it to be of that nature.  
> Also, this verse is darker, and though fictional, it is grounded in reality, at least a little bit for me.  
> The characters are not completely like they are in the show, so please to keep that in mind.
> 
> If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask. Thank you, and enjoy.

Felicity forgets sometimes that not everyone arrives here with the intention to fight. Some are just seeking refuge, somewhere to go where they aren't afraid of being themselves. Forcing their bodies to be at ease when it's so used to running, forcing their minds to stop being clouded with fear when in reality, it's all they've ever known. 

When fear is all you know, fighting isn't instinctual, she gets it. But it has to become your brain's first response. She'd learn that the hard way. Now isn't the time to cower in fear and allow them to take control of you, to turn you into something that's far worse than anything they say you're already capable of now.

Most people that arrive here just don't get it, refuse to get it even after seeing all the horrors those men commit, claiming they do what they do for the greater good.

It's a good thing she's here to teach them.

“Stop. Just stop. You're not focused enough. Take a break and we'll pick this back up in a little bit.”

She wipes the sweat from her brow frustratedly, picking up the bottle of water off the side of the table to take a quick swig before leaving the room and the 17 year old mutant that had come here a little over a week ago.

He's a young mutant with the ability to manipulate water, limited by his inability to actually create it and also of course his reluctance to try to use it to his advantage. He's so used to making use of it in a defensive manner that he's unable at this point to even try to gain an offensive edge. But she's worked with much harder shells, so she'll get through to him.

She hopes it isn't too late when she eventually does.

Walking down the halls of the abandoned mansion, Felicity passes a few of the mutants running around in a hurry to get their responsibilities done. Because that's how it works here. She'll take you in, provide food, clothing and shelter, but you have to do your part. There's no free living here, especially when things are so much worse than they were before.

Her back aches from her own responsibilities, plus the 3 training sessions she’d ran through with some other mutants, but she ignores it, never one to show her exhaustion. 

“Felicity,” a voice calls out to her. She directs her gaze towards to person, stance wide and solid, almost matching the hard look she knows her eyes have taken on. 

“Dinah.” she calls after the woman, a powerful tracker and telepathic in training with a shady past that she's never asked about, mostly because she’d never been the type to ask, and also because Dinah has never been the type to tell either.

“That telekinesis that we've been tracking? I have a lead. He's not far from here. I suggest we head out shortly to find him because MDA are on his ass.”

Nodding her head, Felicity throws out a, “Get Barry, I'll be with you in a minute,” before she rushes off in pursuit of her technical mutant that controls all movement in and out of the mansion. 

She reaches the main wing, which also happens to house most of the mutants living here. They're all littered around the battered and broken pieces of what used to be walls and stairways. Although the mansion's near collapsing, they make it work to their advantage, using it as a hideout because it's where they're least expected to be. 

It's large enough to house over 200 mutants, and though there's only 148 here now, she knows that the rate at which they're receiving runaway mutants is increasing rapidly and it's just another thing that weighs heavy on her back.

Arriving at her technical mutants station, located at the back of the ground floor and tucked away inside a room with monitors on almost all the walls, she steps inside, taking in the way his eyes move what must be 5 times per millisecond as his ability allows him to take in and analyze the information he's presented with on the screen before him in lightning speed.

“Cisco, we just got a lead on the telekinesis. Do you know what MDA officer is on him?” at the sound of her voice, his eyes focus on her shortly before they continue their assessment following the few commands he’d typed in on his keyboard. 

Not long after, Cisco sighs in defeat before turning to her once again, “It's Lance.”

“Fuck.” she’d just knew somehow that it'd be him. Quentin Lance is the head agent at MDA, a hardened, merciless man that stops at nothing to bring down the mutant underground. The fact that he's after the telekinesis means he knows they're likely going to be after him too. They have to be careful.

“Alright, Dinah, Barry and I are going after him. After we leave, be sure to take the security precautions necessary. No one in or out until we're safe and back. If you don't hear from us come morning, you know what to do.” she levels him with a knowing look, saying without opening her mouth what he knows is to be done. He nods lightly at her then focuses on the screen again.

“I don't need to tell you to be careful, but Lance’s men are heavy tonight.” he mutters as she makes her exit. She doesn't answer him.

Passing a few more of the commanding mutants on her way out, she gives them minor details, telling them the same thing she'd just told Cisco. She'd made sure that everyone is aware of what to do if she was ever compromised, and though she hopes it will never come to that, she's not stupid enough to not prepare for the possibility. 

Reaching the front door of the mansion, she glances behind her and almost all eyes on her, worry, but mostly fear, fear for what might happen to her mixed with fear of her, reflected in their eyes. She doesn't blame them.

Upon her exit, she spots Dinah and Barry already settled inside one of the nondescript mini vans they use for traveling in and out of the city. She climbs in hurriedly, muttering a ‘Go’ to Dinah in the driver's seat, and then they're off.

Within the small constraints of the front of the minivan, Felicity directs her gaze to Dinah. Mindful of the fact that she's driving, she questions, “What are we walking into here?”

Not talking her eyes off the road, which at this point is just a dirt path they use to avoid easy discovery until they're out of this side of the city, Dinah provides her intel, “He's back at the safe house he'd been using before MDA caught him last time. Based off my last track, MDA’s men are about an hour out before they get to him.”

Huffing out an angry breath, Felicity comments, “Then we have to get there at least 10 minutes before that.”

Chiming in from his position beside Felicity, Barry adds, “Not counting if he doesn't put up resistance.” And he has a point. If the telekinesis refuses to go with them, it'll likely lead to a lengthy lecture about why he should. However, she's not risking her friends being caught in the line of fire, no matter how much of an asset he might be.

“If he knows what's good for him, he'll come with us.” It's not as if she isn't expecting some hostility from him. She's been doing this for quite some time, and she knows that people react differently to them depending on how drastic their situation is. But something tells her that this mutant is different. He's been in and out of MDA captivity for almost as long as the year they'd caught wind of him, and that's only the amount of time they know. Which just means that he obviously has some control of his power if he's managed to escape so many times, but still hasn't mastered it if he's caught every time anyway.

The thing is, she doesn't know what to expect from him. The only other telekinesis she knows was from… before. People with that kind of power are unpredictable and it rattles her because she doesn't do unpredictable. She keeps all her cards close to her chest, but is pretty good at reading everyone else's. This mutant has always been a wildcard, and while it certainly doesn't scare her, she just has this feeling. It's not a good one.

They sit silently in the speedily moving vehicle for exactly 39 minutes, and then Dinah’s pulling into a manufacturing district. It’s night out when she parks the van behind a few bushes before climbing out, Barry and herself doing so afterwards.

As soon as she’s on the her feet, Dinah stoops into a crouch, hand outstretched to touch the pavement as she closes her eyes and allows her tracking powers to work their magic. A second passes and she doesn't say anything, which causes Felicity’s impatience to flare. 

“Are you sure he's even here?” she doesn't want to doubt her abilities but if it turns out that this wasn't even the right location, if he'd thought it was too risky to come back here, then they'd not only just wasted a trip with MDA hot on their asses, but they'd also lost the telekinesis. Again.

Standing slowly, a smug smile spread on the lines of her lips, Dinah looks down at her, towering a few inches above her, “He’s in the last warehouse behind those buildings,” she finishes, her hand pointing towards the direction of the warehouse in question.

Turning to hide the amused smile that had formed on her face, she starts toward the ‘safehouse’ being used by the telekinesis, feeling more than hearing Barry and Dinah trailing swiftly behind her a moment later. 3 minutes following that, she's cracking open the large wooden door of the entrance, only opening it wide enough to allow herself and the others to squeeze themselves in. Limited by the fact that she can't track someone in close proximity, they’re unclear of where specifically he is inside. She doesn't want to alarm him with their presence, so she moves swiftly but quietly through the dark space of the warehouse. It's a wide open floor with two doors located near the back that likely leads to separate rooms. Signaling to her friends, she directs Dinah to head to the door on the left and for Barry to follow her to the door on the right. Nodding in agreement, Dinah opens her door then disappears behind it.

Barry and herself enter the room and are met with an untidy clutter of clothes, appliances and different types of finished fast food bags and styrofoam boxes. The room is laid out like an apartment, 2 couches against the wall with a small kitchenette located behind it, another door leading to what must be a bedroom and bathroom off to the side. If there was any doubt that this is his safe house, well there isn't any now. 

All of a sudden, Felicity feels the electromagnetic pull of a metal based object hurtling directly towards her, and it's instinctive when her hand flies up, the glow of the purple lights created by her power circling around her fingers, igniting her face and the room into a dull lavender hue. Using her powers, she gains control of the negative energy that surrounds the object, stopping it midair. As it always does, her body, mind, and spirit becomes one with everything that gives off an electromagnetic pull in the room, ready to take control if need be. 

Not a moment after, another object comes hurtling towards her, and she's just now realizing it's a knife, similar to the one before. She’d love to tell this person to fucking stop, but she can't because the room is still rather dark and she can't make out where he is. She repeats her actions, stopping the second and third knife mid air before turning to Barry, “I need lights.”

Nodding at her, he places his arm on the electricity box located behind him on the wall, and then his eyes alight as electric waves pass through them, running along the veins in his arms to the palm of his hands, a loud bang echoing through the space as the box is given a jump start. The room lights up.

When Felicity looks back, it's to see the broad shoulders of the telekinesis running towards the door in retreat. Losing control of the knives, they make a dull clang on the ground as she takes off after him. “Hey, stop! We’re on your side!”

Without looking back, the guy continues running, almost halfway out of the warehouse as pieces of scrap metal and other forms of wood and useless materials fly towards her from under his control, several of them almost hitting her, especially the ones that her powers limit her from controlling.

It's decided. She hates telekinesis mutants. 

She stops, drawing in a deep breath as she motions for Barry to stop his pursuit as well. Dinah crashes through the door by the other room a second later, having probably heard the commotion. 

They don't have time for a speed chase. She can literally feel the massive pull of energy coming from the cars, trucks and weapons of the ADA agents about a block out. 

If he doesn't hear her out, well, there's nothing she can do.

From her spot 25 feet away from him, Felicity shouts, “I know your father is Robert Queen because my mother and your father were apart of the X-men.”

The mutant stops in his retreat, the plastic bottle he'd been about to throw at them falling lifeless beside him. His head turns ever so slightly towards her and she knows she has him. “You don't have to trust us, you don't have to trust me, but MDA are almost literally at your door. You have 2 choices. You can go back to that mutant detention centre, or you can come with us, come back to the place your father used to help run, which to me sounds a hell of a lot like a better choice. But you have to make your choice right now. Oliver.”

Oh so slowly, Oliver faces them, and she can't help but notice the blueness of his eyes, even from so far away. He looks over at both Barry and Dinah before glancing behind him, the sirens MDA uses now loud and clear as they finally arrive outside the warehouse. He turns back around, and then he looks at her, only her and she doesn't know why but feels as if her world has tilted on its axis.

“Okay,” he agrees, voice hard as steel, but she can still make out the slight fear deep down. It unsettles her because though she's unsure of the reason, she can't help but feel anything but strength radiating off him and that contradicts everything. He's clearly built, but it's more than that, more about the way he looks at you. Or maybe she's just seeing a reflection of her own fear that she tries everyday to cover up.

“Great, welcome to the club! Let's get out of here now!” Barry calls out before turning towards Dinah for an escape route. Felicity snaps out of her slight trance, beckoning Oliver forward as they all start following her. 

“There’s an exit from the room that I was in. We can go through there and circle around to the van. Hopefully we don't meet any interference.” 

They follow the route she'd mapped out, running as fast as they can through the room, out the door and then outside. From their position near the back, she spots all the uniformed agents at the front of the warehouse, weapons at ready and that consuming feeling of pure anger and unadulterated hatred burns fast and bright within her skin. She gives herself a small shake because as much as she'd like to show them something to be afraid of, a confrontation is the last thing they need right now. Signaling to them, Dinah leads the way, going around the back of the warehouse and luckily not meeting any mutant hunters there. 

Oliver trails behind them, and she can tell he's second guessing his decisions, probably weighing the pros and cons of just running off on his own, because from the looks of it, he's definitely used to being alone. But she also knows that his curiosity is peaked. She'd just presented him with a connection, something that means he's apart of something bigger than himself. It's likely the only thing that's keeping him from running off.

Not wanting to contemplate him for too long, Felicity concentrates on the last couple feet they have until they reach the van, which she can actually see from behind the bushes they'd stashed it at.

“Is that your ride?” Oliver questions, bobbing his chin towards the minivan.

“Yeah-”

“Freeze! Stop right there! Don't move a muscle!” 

Felicity sighs frustratedly at the voice of the MDA agent, turning around towards him, only to be met with his harsh command again, “I said, DON'T MOVE.” his loud voice draws the attention of his other colleagues, and before she knows it, Barry, Dinah, Oliver and herself are surrounded by a throng of armed agents with guns pointed towards them, the van only a few feet behind.

She's been in tougher spots.

Closing her eyes, she inhales, feeling the buzz of magnetic energy flowing from their guns, the bullets loaded in each barrell, the metal buckle of their belts, the buttons of their shirts, the zippers of their pants and the metallic badge branded with the seal of the Mutant Detention Agency.

Eyes still closed, she turns her head minutely to the others whispering, “Go.”

As soon as they step away, every one of the agents open fire. 

But not one of them make contact. With her hands up, the energy she bends creating a purple glow that circles her fingers, matching the natural lavender colour of her hair, Felicity creates a barrier before her, each bullet meeting its end mid air. Doing so much at once drains her, but she holds out, giving everybody enough time to get into the van.

Except when she looks beside her, Oliver’s there, eyes focused in front of him. Directing her gaze towards where he's looking, she sees a plastic barrel moving steadily towards them due to his powers until they make contact with 2 agents, knocking the guns out of their hands, and them on their feet.

It isn't until she hears Barry cry out in pain does she realise that she'd lost focus. When she looks around at him, he's on the ground clutching his leg, his face twisted in pain. Dinah comes to his rescue, dragging him the final inches inside the van.

However, she hasn't been able to focus on anything but his cry of pain. The anger that she'd felt earlier comes back tenfold. She's so tired of them hurting her people. She’s so tired of waiting for the right time. She's so tired of not fighting back. But she's done with that.

Feeling and gaining control of the metal of their guns, she flicks her hand, sending them flying behind them. They look at each other in confusion, at a loss for what to do now. Good.

With the metal of their buttons and zippers and badges under her control, she pushes. Pushes the 12 agents until they've hit the wall of the warehouse to the side. The sound of their bodies making contact in a loud crack has her smiling in satisfaction and she can't see anything but the hurt that these people have cost her people, that they've cost her. Can't think of anything but the people she loves that she's lost at their hands. She pulls them off the walls once again, before pushing them back as they hit it in a loud crack once more. She does it until everything else is white noise. She doesn't hear their cries of pain, doesn't hear Dinah and Barry screaming her name to get into the van. The only thing she hears is the pleasant crack of their bodies as they collide on the walls. The pleasant sound of justice.

And then hands are on her shoulders, a heart stopping feeling brought on by the contact of skin something she's never felt before. Everything falls to the side, and the only thing she senses, is the energy coming off Oliver as he stares down at her. Every hair on her body stands on alert, and her muscles clench, she doesn't know what's going on, or what this is. But it feels otherworldly. 

It takes her few seconds before the sound comes back to her ears, and she really takes in his face, seeing the way his eyes are worried and afraid. She doesn't know if it's for her or of her. She also doesn't know why she suddenly cares so much about which one it actually is.

“We have to go. There are more reinforcements coming. Let's go Felicity, please.”

It's the way he says her name that finally jump starts her brain and then clears the fog from her mind. Looking behind him, she sees that there are in fact more agents coming.

Stepping out of his hold, she turns and jogs towards the van, allowing him to step in before she does so as well, closing the door behind her. And then they're off, luckily enough with a large amount of head start, so they're not being chased or trailed. Still, Dinah’s careful of which routes she takes.

Barry’s whimper of pain reminds her that he is in fact hurt, so she turns to him, commanding him to stick his leg out. “The bullet’s still in there.” She can feel it.

He does as she asks, and then she focuses on removing the object as carefully and as gently as she can. He still cries out in pain when she does it though. She reaches for a relatively clean cloth around the back and ties it around the wound, telling him to press down on it. 

“There's nothing we can do until we get back. Healer will take it from there.” 

Face wet with sweat and what might be tears, Barry nods his head before focusing on his leg, as if daring it to stop hurting.

After that the van is silent, which allows for her to simmer in shame at what she'd just done. Something came over her. Something so dark and unforgiving she honestly couldn't identify herself. She doesn't know what that thing is and it scares her because she knows that wasn't even the beginning of it. She could've done so much worse.

It's no secret that she hates MDA. If you're a mutant, you grow up with these type of people breathing down your neck, waiting for you to do one wrong thing, and then they throw you in their detention centres and experiment on you. If they deem you worthy enough, they'll turn you against your own kind, hunting other mutants using your gift. It's sickening. 

But it's not even just that, or them, it's the entire world believing that they aren't human because they have the X-gene. It's the entire world treating them like animals and property, rather than the human beings they actually are. It's the entire world wanting them dead because they're afraid of what they're capable of. And for as long as she's known herself, she's always been conflicted about her views on how the world can become one where she isn't afraid to walk free.

On one side, she believes that if they can somehow prove to people that they aren't a threat, that they're here to just live peaceful, meaningful lives, then there's no need for bloodshed. She believes that no matter how difficult they can be, the world can eventually be convinced without violence and that though they're different, they're just like them.

But on the other side, the homosapiens have proven time and time again that they do not want to live in a world where mutants are allowed to walk among them freely, and as long as she's breathing, why should she sit back and live with that? They kill her people everyday, killed all the X-men, simply because they can't see pass DNA. Why shouldn't she kill theirs?

And just now, seeing the evidence of the hurt they impose on her people, a side of her, the side she's so afraid of letting out again, had made itself known. And she can't help but admit that things would've gotten worse if it wasn't for the man sitting beside her, stealing a few glances at her every few minutes. She doesn't even know him. And she can't. Can't allow for him to get close, to let anybody get close because after what she'd just done? It's completely obvious that she shouldn't even be around these good people.

What she needs to do is learn how to control her anger, because that can't happen again, especially not at the mansion. She knows she'll likely always feel resentment towards those people for what they did and continue to do to her people, but she vows to herself to never let that darkness come over her again. 

They arrive at the mansion at 9 in the night, surpassing all the security measures put in place after their leave. She glances over at Oliver, trying to see if he'll react to seeing the mansion again. But he doesn't, his face passive as if he's never seen the place before. Weird. They all climb out of the van, helping Barry out as he throws his arms around Dinah and Oliver’s shoulders. Before they can head off to go inside though, Felicity stops them.

“I'd like to apologize for what happened just now,” she looks directly at Oliver, wanting him to understand, “That wasn't me back there, trust me.” 

It's Barry that pipes up first, smiling brightly, “Are you kidding me? That was amazing, and such a rush. I've never seen you use so much of your power.”

Felicity gulps before looking down, “Yeah, no, that- no. Just please forget what happened tonight.” she doesn't want anyone inside to know, and as she looks up, the hardness that they're used to from her returns instantly, letting them know that she's serious.

“We got Oliver. That's all that happened tonight.” Dinah says, her eyes strong as steel as if daring someone to say something otherwise. She's reminded once again that she has a shady past, and if anyone understands her reluctance to talk about it, it'd be her.

Nodding to Dinah and Barry, she turns to towards Oliver, “ Can I talk to you for a minute?” he nods, looking over to Dinah as he silently asks if she'll be okay assisting Barry inside. She brushes him off before she walks away slowly with Barry hopping slightly with her support.

Stepping back a little to give the illusion of more privacy on the already empty front yard, Felicity speaks, “I’m sorry you had to see that. It's not like me, and it's certainly not what we're about here.”

Sliding closer to her, he replies, “You already apologized.”

Well, yeah. “I know, but I just had to say it to you specifically. Because you know, I don't want you to think we're like a group of killers or something.” she forces a laugh at the end, and wow why is she being weird right now? She doesn't do weird.

“Is that the only reason you're apologizing specifically to me?” and is that a smug smile on his face?

“Yes. Now, I know you have questions about everything, but you must be tired. I'll have someone show you around and set you up with a cot,” she plows on, the subject change obvious but honestly unavoidable at this point. “Goodnight,” she finishes, fleeing towards the old front door and disappearing behind it.

Upon her entrance, she's spots one of her closest friends John Diggle seated among some other mutants. She heads towards him, getting his attention and motioning to him that she wants to speak privately. 

“Night go well, I suppose?” he asks, voice deep and commanding, yet comforting and soft at the same time.

“Yeah, it did,” she lies, “About that, I'm going to need you to debrief Oliver and show him around until he gets settled.”

He looks at her in confusion, making space for someone passing by. “But that's your job.”

Reaching a hand up the rub the back of her neck, she goes on carefully, “Yeah, I know, but I'm tired, so just do this for me please?”

He studies her face, and he must find some truth in her words because he sighs in defeat and agrees. After sorting out some details, they hear commotion and both look into the communal area as everyone crowds around someone. It doesn't take her long before she realizes it's Oliver.

Wishing Dig goodnight, she begins her trek to the smallest wing of the mansion, which houses her bedroom and a few of the other commanding mutants’ as well. As soon as she's inside, she crawls under her covers, fighting every single feeling that rises within her. 

She thinks about her decision to let Dig show Oliver around, only due to the fact that she realized she can't be around him. He'd come to her help with those men even after she'd told him to go, disobeying a direct order. He'd been the one to pull her out of her darkness, and she can't even begin the explain to magnetic pull she'd felt between them when his skin contacted hers.

She'd been right about him. He was unpredictable, and she doesn't do unpredictable.


	2. Fatalistic Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity tightens security at the mansion after finding out that MDA played them. Meanwhile, after avoiding Oliver for a week, Felicity finally begins training him and is shocked at what is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHH here's chapter 2! I'm having a lot of fun writing this and I'm honestly just elated to put this story out, even though response has been minimal.... that being said, ENJOY!

“Look, it’s just weird okay? He said he'd be there, but he wasn't. So either MDA intentionally gave out incorrect information or he lied. And I don't know which is worse to be honest.”

Felicity sighs, rubbing the exhaustion from her eyes in an effort to remain on top of things. She shifts forward in her position at the top of the large rectangular table, pieces of paper filled with information tossed on pretty much every inch of the surface. 

“Cisco, how did you not know MDA gave out inaccurate intel?” she questions, voice stern and commanding, the frustration she feels strengthening along with her already rising anger for having gone a week without anyone else, or worse, herself, even realizing that Lance was not there on the night Cisco had informed her that he would be. And she's absolutely positive he wasn't. She would have seen him. She also doesn't contemplate Alena’s not so subtle suggestion that Cisco’s a mole, because, and though she'd never confess to it, she'd had Dinah read his mind as soon as he'd sought refuge here. Fact is, she'd had Dinah read everyone’s mind at this table.

Cisco looks around at the 6 people surrounding him, first at Alena, his green, technically adapt eyes zeroing in on her in barely disguised dislike before turning towards Dig, then Barry and Iris, followed by Dinah and finally herself.

“Their radio had reported the Head Agent on duty that night was Lance and I didn't have a reason to believe otherwise. I apologize for not realizing that it wasn't legit, and also for not realizing sooner.”

After contemplating it, she nods her head swiftly at him, figuring that there’s really no point in dragging out this mini interrogation of him any longer. He had come to her that morning, presenting the miscalculation on his part with as much confidence as he could muster. Her temper had flared at the news at first, of course, but she had let that anger slide to back of her mind, knowing she had to alert the other commanding mutants of the news. And so here they were, with probably half of them no longer trusting Cisco. But she doesn't have it in her to argue his innocence, only because she knows that the only thing of actual importance has to be discussed right now, and with urgency.

“If we could all focus on one thing here,” Felicity’s voice demands, “I think it's pretty obvious that MDA knows at this point that we have eyes and ears on them. They also likely used that against us last Friday when we rescued Robert Queen’s son. The question is, however, to what end?”

Why have them believe that Lance was going to be there? Only for him not to show up? And now that she thinks about it, there wasn't nearly as much MDA agents there as they'd thought there would be, or what they're normally up against. Once again, she's frustrated at herself for not realizing this sooner.

“Maybe this was a miscalculation on their part perhaps? One of their agents actually messed up?” Iris presents, looking around at the others for any feedback.

Diggle shakes his head, rubbing a hand over his face as he supplies, “That's too easy, too safe. These men are professionals. They don't just mess up. Not an accident.”

“Except nothing’s happened. If this were intentional, don't you think they would've made their move by now? If MDA has a window, they'll take it.” it's Barry that supplies this, his eyes dark as he avoids eye contact with everyone around him, instead, keeping them rooted on a script of paper laid out in front of him. She chalks up his strange behavior to the fact that his father used to work for the agency, which is why he knows intimately how they think. She knows it haunts him to this day, that his father had been one of the very persons that want people like him out of this world. 

She doesn't ask. But she does notice when Iris places a comforting hand on his arm. She glances away from the intimate moment.

“He has a point,” Alena adds, turning to Cisco as she says this, only slightly passive aggressively, “Even though it's a strange move, they haven't actually done anything… Yet. Maybe they're waiting for their someone from the inside to give them the heads up.”

Cisco scoffs, pushing his curly hair behind his ear as he directs to Alena accusingly, “And how do we know you're not their inside man?”

Without missing a beat, she replies, “Because last time I checked, I didn't give out incorrect information that could have jeopardized the whole underground!”

Purple hued energy surrounds Felicity’s fingers as the florescent lights hanging above shake and flicker on and off aggressively from under her control. Cisco and Alena’s mouths close on a loud snap, their eyes turning towards her in what she can only describe as embarrassment.

“If you're both about finished jumping down each other's throat, could we get back to meat of the matter? There is no point in questioning the loyalty of the very people you call your own. I have it on good authority that no one in this room, or out there,” she points towards the communal area just outside their small meeting room, “is sharing information with MDA.”

She eyes each person as she voices this, making sure they understand what it is that she's saying. The real enemy here is MDA. When she meets Diggle’s eye, he smirks knowingly at her and it's all she can do to keep from returning an amused smile back in his direction.

“Okay. So what we know so far is: MDA radioed on Friday that Lance would be on Queen’s detaining team, only he wasn't. We’re going off the assumption that they used the fact that we're interrupting their communications lines against us, only they haven't done anything, not yet anyway. So what we need to do now is map out our next move.” The entire room listens intently as Dinah speaks, and she can basically hear their minds flipping over in an effort to come up with a strategy.

Felicity speaks, “We're going to up our security measures. Curfew moves up as well. I don't want anyone outside after sunset. Iris, I want you to get word to our handlers to be on extra lookout for MDA. Cisco, let Sara know what's going on as well. If she's sending refugees here, I want them to be extra vetted. I'll let everyone else know what's happening. We don’t know what MDA’s actions mean, but let’s be cautious even if there are no obvious modes of action from them. We have to be on guard.” she stands as she finishes, throwing on her jacket that she had placed on the back of the chair. She makes for the door but is interrupted when Diggle stands, motioning to her that he wants to speak to her privately. She pauses, allowing him to step out first before she ducks out of the room as well.

Following him, they make their way to the secluded alcove located on the very top floor of the manor. It's where her mother used to take her when she was a child to show her what they had built. Looking down from that spot, you could see almost every movement on the floors laid out underneath. It had felt like being on top of the world. It had felt like being on top of their world. She shuts those memories from her mind as she arrives there, turning towards Diggle and waiting for him to speak.

“Lyla’s still out there.”

Felicity sighs, having known that he'd bring this up again. “And we’ll get her. You know that.”

He shakes his head, folding his massive arms over his chest. “That's not enough. MDA’s had her for over a month now. She's my wife Felicity. Even if she's just a low level mutant to them, she means everything to me.” 

Working her jaw in added frustration, she leans against the wall behind her, resting her head back and letting out a shaky breath of guilt because… well, what took place is just another thing that has been heavy on her shoulders ever since it'd happen. The trip was supposed to go like normal, just like it always does. Only, it hadn’t. 

Dig, herself and Lyla had traveled to the city over to meet one of their new handlers and to transport a large amount of supplies to the mansion. On their way back, they'd stopped to get food for the road, checking into what had seemed like an average diner. About after 45 minutes of being there, she'd felt MDA approaching, realizing too late that someone in the diner must have realized they were mutants and had alerted the authorities. And with their names so high on MDA’s wanted list, well, they were surrounded quicker than she's comfortable admitting. But, she was optimistic. Positive they could outrun them just like they always do. So much so that she didn't realize when Lyla had been hit, a red feather hanging from the needle forged into her neck with a blue liquid seeping into her bloodstream and knocking her out in seconds, her force-field generating powers failing her this time.

Diggle’s roar of anger then is something she'll never forget. And she'll also never forget the way he'd looked at her when she told him they had to go. “We have to go or they'll get us too,” is the cowardly thing she'd said. And she doesn't know what had finally convinced him to, if it was seeing for himself that she was right, or if it was realizing that if they're all caught, everyone at the mansion would've been fucked… or if it was seeing Lyla whisper right before her eyes shut that they should leave, now.

It had all been her fault. She should've realized that they were coming. Lyla should've never been caught. The only thing that kept her, and she suspects Diggle as well, from going to her rescue was the fact that Cisco had told them that he'd picked up from their communications lines that Lyla wasn't the one they'd wanted. And so after multiple attempts to torture it out of her, but meeting resistance every single time, because she's that strong of a woman, they'd just left her in a cell, with a power blocker around her neck, to this day. 

But it doesn't hurt any less, for her or for Diggle. The both of them are her oldest friends, so close and connected that she considers them her family. And she failed them. She feels guilty even more about the fact that she pushes it from her mind sometimes, especially when she isn't around Dig, the shame trying it's hardest to disassociate itself within almost every moment. 

But every time he brings it up, like now, she's reminded that she's still there. And it's not that she forgets, but it's so much easier to, because then she doesn't feel like she'd failed him, and she doesn't feel like she'd failed Lyla.

“I know that you want her back, I want her back here where she belongs too,” she softens her features as best she can, wanting, needing, him to see that she isn't just ignoring his pain, needing him to see that she feels it too. “But now more than ever is the wrong time to make a move.” She knows that that's what he's been doing, waiting and biding his time before he does something drastic, because after all he's told her before. She also knows that one day, there has to be a confrontation, that she has to go up against MDA in a way that isn't just them running, that she has to make their voices heard. And even though she wants to do it in the most peaceful way possible, she knows that it'll never stay peaceful. It is after all why she trains these people everyday.

Diggle nods, and she can see he knows she's right, but when you love someone, logic becomes a fragmented, unfortunate after thought. He looks up at her, and she can see the hurt he's always hiding plain on his face when he says, “I just want her with me, Felicity.”

Sighing, she closes the distance between them, tipping on her toes so she can wrap her arms around him in a warm hug. “I know. Trust me, I know. But even if you weren't bulletproof, and couldn't pick up over a thousand pounds like it was nothing, you'd still be the strongest person I've ever known. You can pull through this.”

After lowering herself flat on her feet, she looks up at his face and is a tiny bit shocked when she sees a soft smile there. “Lyla used to say something like that to me all the time.”

Suddenly feeling lighter at the thought, she pats his solid hard chest, “Well, she'd always been a very smart woman. And a badass too.” his smile broadens even more, and it might very well be the highlight of her day. He's like a big brother to her, and she's happy she could bring a little happiness to him, even if it's still tinged with the darkness of pass events.

She fully steps away from him, prepared to descend the alcove so she can go see to filling everyone in of the situation like she’d intended to when Diggle speaks again. “Speaking of badasses, it's time for you to start training Queen. He's already pretty advanced, but he's also pretty far out of my wheelhouse. I did like you asked, showed him around and everything. With his circumstances, I think we both know you gotta stop ignoring him now.”

Felicity scoffs, clearing her throat before she defends herself, “I wasn't ignoring him,” but Diggle just gives her The Look. And yeah, why is she even trying? Sighing in defeat, she goes on, “Fine. If you see him, please tell him he's needed in the training room.”

She makes her exit at that, her mind going a mile a minute at the thought of one Oliver Queen. Ever since that night, she's been trying her best to avoid being in the same room with him, and so far, she'd been successful. She'd of course had Diggle tell her everything that Oliver was willing to share about his experiences ever since he was separated from his father, but her friend held out on her, insisting every time that if she wanted to know something about him, she should ask. And she doesn't know why, but she feels like Diggle might be on to her.

She still can't explain what she felt that night when he touched her, and if she's being honest, she'd rather not think or talk about it. Combine that with the fact that he'd seen her in a way that she never wants to be seen again, only after knowing her for all of 5 seconds, well, someone can't think the worst of you if they don't see you now can they?

But she knows she can't put it off any longer, because aside from the fact that it's getting ridiculous, with the new information about MDA out in the open now, it's best that she speaks with him herself. She knows he doesn't have anything to do with it, what with Dinah reading his mind and finding large gaps between his memory, but also because when she'd looked into his eyes that night, despite everything, she'd seen a good person. 

When she arrives at the training room, which really is just a wide open space with a random assortment of objects she uses to test out the different types of skills each mutants has, she removes her jacket once more, leaving herself in her signature black T, skin tight black pants and metal studded black combat boots. She rearranges some of the objects lying around, taking care that they're spread a good distance apart.

She feels him approaching a couple minutes later, her heart speeding up in a way that's honestly unfair and as soon as he enters, his eyes land on her. She doesn't know if she should laugh or be offended by the shock she sees in his eyes.

“I honestly thought John was playing with me when he said you wanted me here.”

Though she already knows the answer, she asks, “Why would you think that?”

He shuffles on his spot inside the doorway, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, “You've basically disappeared since I've been here. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were avoiding me.”

Huffing out an unamused breath, she shakes her head, closing her eyes for a second to get her thoughts together. He's right of course, about her avoiding him, but this isn't some ‘boys meets girl, girl plays hard to get’ situation and he apparently doesn't get that. “Look I know you're new around here, but just in case you haven't noticed, everyone here has shit they have to do and things they have to take care of. I'm the person that makes sure that everything is okay, that people are clothed, and fed and aren't scared for their lives, and on top of that, I have to be watching our back for MDA at every step.” She motions to everything around them, “This is my job. And when you have a job like this, you barely even have time to breathe. So excuse me if you feel like I should've been there to hold your hand and be your friend.”

She's panting slightly when she finishes, the frustration she's been feeling about everything apparently finally finding someone to play target practice with. 

However, Oliver does something she isn't expecting, causing her eyes to scrunch up disbelief and honest confusion. His laughter echoes through the thin walls of the room, mocking her in a way she's almost sure isn't his intention, but feeling that way anyway.

Walking fully into the room, he stops a few feet in front of her, the grin on his face widening as he supplies, “Everyone was right. You are tough as nails.” his blue eyes are light and playful, highlighted by the light blue shirt he's dressed in which also does wonders in accentuating his toned body.

His comment, she guesses, does what it's supposed to do, cutting the tension from the room along with pushing away her frustration and anger, for the moment at least. She lets a small smile loose on her lips.

“Tougher.”

He smiles even wider, if that's even possible, opening his mouth to say something but she cuts him off, knowing that while this lighter atmosphere isn't awful, they're not here to make small talk. “If you're wondering what you're doing here with me, it's everything.” Off his confused expression, she goes on, “Meaning I want you to tell me what happened with your family and what happened with MDA, that way, I can understand you because, well, I train people best when I understand them.”

At the mention of his family, his features had gotten hard and closed off. He steps away from in front of her, sitting lightly on the table towards the side of the room. Bringing his hands up to his head, he rubs his forehead for a few seconds, likely due to a headache, is what she supposes. Telekinesis mutants get those a lot, including any other mutant that uses their mind to control or bend things to their will, she knows this because she gets them too. However, she knows it's not as simple as that for him right now. Whatever it is that happened to him and his family must be hard to think about, or even worse, to talk about, but she needs something. Anything. 

Trying not to unsettle him anymore, she walks over to him before attempting softly, “You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. Here's what we’ll do. I'll tell you the few things I know about you and your family and you try to fill in the gaps that I don’t know, okay?”

Looking up, he adds slightly angrily, “But that's the thing. I know you know my memories are fucked up. MDA… did things to my brain. They kept wanting to know about my family and about the underground, which at the time I didn't even know about, but each time they strapped me up on those machines, running test after test, I lost a little bit of myself. I didn't even realize that this was the place I was given birth in, Felicity. I barely know who I am.”

She shuts her eyes, trying not to imagine him there, trying not to imagine all the other mutants that they've held captive in that same situation. Trying desperately not to imagine them doing that to Lyla.

“Okay, I understand that. But what you just said helps. This is all helpful, trust me. Just, tell me what you remember, what you feel comfortable sharing.”

He looks at her, and she can tell he's contemplating the sincerity behind her words. But she meant what she said, so she's not surprised when he nods his head in agreement.

Smiling kindly at him, she begins filling him in on what she knows, “Okay so your father, my mother, and a couple of their friends and other mutants founded the X-men 35 years ago. MDA was launched in 2003, 15 years ago, and the X-men started dying out. Your mother left with your sister and yourself to protect the both of you and to avoid detection. Oliver, your father was one of the strongest mutants, ever. Not only was he telekinetic like yourself, but he had telepathy and was precognitive. My mother told me he foresaw his own downfall. Do you remember anything about him? About your mom taking you away?”

Swallowing harshly at the information he'd just been given, he rubs the sides of his forehead again before answering slowly, “There are pieces of memories that come back to me sometimes when I walk the halls of the mansion. I mean, at the time I was still pretty young, like 7 or 8 so it's not like I'd remember much, but I have started getting flashes of this place here and there. I also remember when my mom took us away. I was a bit older, like maybe a year and…” he swallows once again, what he's about to say next obviously weighing on him. “Thea was just a newborn.”

He looks at her as she says this, as if seeking affirmation so she nods, not completely sure herself but wanting him to feel like he's on the right track.

He goes on, “We lived in another state, Chicago, for a long while. Ten years? Maybe twelve? What I know for sure is my powers came in when I was 15, and even though we never made it obvious that we were mutants, I think people still knew. I remember being at a bar. I was 23, and my mom and Thea were at home. Some guy must've pissed me off, like really pissed me off because next thing I knew I used my powers on him, and I never use my powers in public. After getting kicked out, I heard sirens approaching and at the time I thought it was just the cops... It was MDA. I don't know how they brought me to Star City, but I've been in and out of their cells for 2 years ever since. I don't know where my mother and sister are. So many of my memories with them have been wiped away, but I know for sure that I love them. And I miss them.”

Not knowing what to say to all of that, Felicity gives him a moment to process his pain. He's been through a lot, and like she had assumed, he's used to being alone, because even if it's just 2 years, it's a lot longer when you spend it either on the run or with people poking and prodding your brain.

“I'm sorry,” she whispers, hoping she comes off as sincere as she actually is. “I'm sorry that happened to you.”

He nods at her, likely just accepting her apology as a formality, because though it's meaningful right now, it really doesn't change a single thing. He's still in pain.

“Thanks. I want to find them. I… I don't even know if they're okay, if they're alive--” he cuts himself off, shaking himself of those thoughts, “I don't know where they are but I've made a promise since I was taken away from them that I'd find them.”

She doesn't know why, but when she opens her mouth next, it's to say something in an effort to comfort him. “You know Dinah right? She's a tracker and a damn good one at that. Maybe when this is all over, she'll help you look for them…”

It's a flimsy offer, one that neither one of them have the luxury of believing, but - it's an offer. It's more than she'd ever imagined herself attempting.

“That sounds like a plan,” he says, voice still tinged with the pain from recalling everything that has happened to him. When he speaks again, she knows it's with forced nonchalance. “So what's next boss?”

“Uh… right. Now we get down to breaking down how you use your power.” She turns around, heading to the centre of the room and motioning for him to join her. When he’s standing a couple feet in front of her, she starts circling him. “As you can see, they're a few objects on the ground around us.” Oliver looks down at the small rusty chair, a tiny green ball, a broken pair of scissors and a old barbie doll.

“Yes, there are,” he concludes.

Reaching his front once again, she commands, “Make them float.”

“Okay,” he agrees, and then he breathes out slowly, closing his eyes shortly in concentration before opening them once more. She takes note of his every move, from his labored intakes of breath, to the flare of his nostrils, to the way his fingers twitch by his side. A couple seconds after, the objects lift into the air, spinning slowly but otherwise unmoving.

“What do you think about when you use your powers?”

“What do you mean?” he questions, looking down at her, their height difference quite noticeable when they're this close.

“I mean, what drives your power? What do you think about that motivates you or influences you?”

His face clears as the meaning dawns on him and then a sad smile takes up his face. “One of the things I do remember about my Mom was her teaching me how to use my powers. She always told me not to use it from a place of fear, because it's not something to fear. She also said not to use if from a place of anger, because anger is uncontrollable and it can hurt people,” she flinches slightly at that, praying to some divine being that he hadn't noticed. “She told me to think of something that makes me feel safe and happy, and to use that as the source for my powers, and for me, that'd always been my little sister Thea and my family. It's still true now.” 

The fact that he'd been through so much, lost his whole family, but is still able to tap into that good place is amazing, and she can't help but marvel at his resilience. 

It's also clear to her that he already knows a lot more than anyone else she'd just began training, because what his mother had told him is almost exactly what her mother had bestowed in her, and so is also what she tells every person she trains. To think of the people you love, never of the fear, never the hurt or the anger when you use your power. It's much more effective, both physically and mentally.

“Well, since you're already aware of that, you just advanced like 3 levels ahead.”

He chuckles softly at that before losing control of the objects. But before they all hit the ground, purple energy surrounds her fingers as she keeps the broken scissor afloat. With the plastic missing from it, she pulls it closer to her, which just so happens to be in the space between them. Bringing up her other hand, she takes control of each leg then pulls them apart from each other. 

Felicity feels Oliver’s stare on her skin, but she purposely keeps her gaze of the metal scissors. Gauging the magnetic energy around them, she bends them, both of them forming a ‘V’. There's really no point in doing this, but she guesses he brings out a playful side of her.

Looking up at him, she drops them both, but before the purple energy around her fingers disappear, Oliver begins reaching out to her. She'll never understand why, but for some reason, when his fingers are almost touching hers, she doesn't pull away. Her eyes are rooted on both their hands, the feeling somewhat like a moth drawn to a flame. 

When Oliver’s touch blossoms on her skin, that same feeling from that night returns, only, like tenfold. Both the tips of their index fingers make contact, and the purple energy around her fingers practically explodes, growing in mass until it takes up Oliver’s hand as well. Her entire arm tingles, reaching towards every inch of her body. And she knows she isn't the only one feeling this… this thing.

Glancing up at him, she can see the purple light from her energy, from both energies reflected all over his face and especially his eyes. 

She'll never be able to describe this feeling, like they're sharing not just they're energy, but they're minds and souls and spirits. It's as if she can sense his every need, every feeling and emotion, and she knows he can feel hers. She can feel the power they share, what with the catastrophic combination of both their abilities moving around her. She’d known that she was powerful before, and she’d had a feeling that he’d inherited his father’s strength, but their contact has brought a whole new meaning to it. It’s fucking amazing.

It shouldn't be.

As if she had been burnt, Felicity drags her hand away from him, stepping back a few feet to slow her breathing and to figure out what the fuck that was. It isn't until she hears several loud crashes around her does she realise that every single object in the room had been afloat, even the 50 pound table off to the side.

Afraid of what they'd just done, afraid of what she'd just felt, Felicity looks up at Oliver, with the confusion and fear clear on his face as well, she whispers, “Don't do that again. Ever.”

Before he can respond however, a stomach turning sense of doom settles within her skin. Felicity feels the massive metallic pull of vans and trucks and weapons in their hundreds approaching the mansion from just outside the dirt road leading to the old building.

Looking back at Oliver, Felicity whispers her deepest fear, absolutely numb at the fact that it's coming true. “They found us. Mutant Detention Agency is here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's not technically a cliffhanger right? 
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	3. Come Knocking On My Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and her commanding mutants work to deflect MDA from capturing everyone in the mansion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI Here's chapter 3!
> 
> Happy reading! Don't forget to drop a comment down below!

Blood burning panic shoots throughout Felicity’s body, throwing the already off kilter control she has on her thoughts into a screeching halt. The logical thing to do right now is to say something, to do something, but she just doesn't understand. 

She doesn't understand how this is happening, how she didn't see it coming, how she could've let them get this close. 

Mutant Detection Agency is a mile outside of the old X-men mansion, which is currently filled with the 152 mutants that she'd been tasked with the responsibility to protect. 

Oh how she'd failed them. She'd failed them all.

If these people are caught, everything her mother had done would've been for nothing and all of what those that came before her had accomplished will be falsely retold as a story of failure when the homosapiens finally get rid of what they consider to be the waste of life that is her people.

Her confusion from earlier only grows tenfold when she tries to figure out how they found them, and if this was their plan all along. She doesn't know how they did it and she feels like crap all over again because she didn't realize sooner that MDA had played them. Yet another thing that's her fault.

“Felicity. How do you know? Where are they?” Oliver’s worried voice asks, the fear in his tone clear as day. The feeling is more than mutual.

Shaking herself from the fog that had taken up her mind the moment she'd felt the mutant hunters approaching, Felicity looks up at the man in front of her, looking pass what'd just taken place between them and seeing what he represents.

When she looks into his eyes, she realizes that she can't allow the fear to choke her. That is after all what she teaches everyone here. So like she always does, she pushes aside her own feelings. She has a job to do, and she isn’t done until everyone is in good hands. She has to try to get everyone to safety. She has to protect her people, and she’s not going down without a fight, without giving every person here a chance.

With that in mind, Felicity straightens her back and begins marching from the room with Oliver hot on her heels. “I felt them. They're about a mile out and they have weapons that's nothing like I've ever felt before, which means they're armed to destroy. They came prepared.”

As soon as she spots persons running around and going about their daily responsibilities, she practically shouts at them to tell everyone to get to the communal area immediately, and once they see the urgency in her eyes, they do just that.

Felicity feels the change in the atmosphere surrounding the mansion, and she knows that the more the news that something's happening spreads, the more panic spreads. And the more time runs out. She wishes they’d been more prepared, that she would've gotten around to at least alerting them that MDA was up to something, but she hadn't gotten the opportunity to because she'd went to train Oliver, who she realizes has disappeared, likely to gather people as well. She doesn't blame any of this on him, but she just wishes she didn't have to spring this on everyone now when MDA is about to be on their doorstep. People come here for protection and safety and that's not what this place is anymore. It absolutely kills her.

As soon as she reaches the communal area, a good amount of people are already there. Her small council of commanding mutants, excluding Cisco, step outside of the meeting room, looking at her from across the wide open space as soon as Diggle points out the look on her face. She opens her mind and allows Dinah to read it. Dinah’s skin pales as the blood drains from her face once she sees the horrors of the situation they've just landed in that's playing on loop in Felicity’s mind. She turns to the others and relays what's going on, but Felicity doesn't wait to gauge their reactions as well. Rushing quickly to the alcove at the top floor, she looks down at everyone, and it hits her then that it'll likely be the last time that she'll look down from that spot. Felicity pushes that thought from her mind.

“The first thing I want to say is that I'm sorry. This should've never happened, and I just want to ask all of you for your forgiveness.”

Murmurs of speculations begin flying from everyone's mouth, and she can't exactly make out what any of them are saying, but she just looks at them, taking in their faces and the fear distinctively settling on their features. Releasing a deep breath, Felicity soldiers on.

“MDA are a mile out on McCain Road.” the chatter rises immediately, and their bodies twist and turn as they try to find an escape route, their fight or flight response kicking in, making the obvious choice of fleeing. More and more people enter the large area, and then she's pretty sure everyone is there, chucked up and absolutely panicking. Felicity turns her gaze towards to Alena to find her already looking at her, and Felicity eyes her, telling her without words what they have to do next. Alena nods, and begins making her way to the centre of the room.

“There's a underground bunker a couple of miles from here. It used to be a military base decades ago but has been left abandoned for a while. Alena’s going to open a portal which will take you all there. Water and supplies are stocked up already. I calculate that we have about 20 minutes before MDA is here, so please, as soon as the portal is open, don't hesitate to step through it. I know you're all scared, but please remain as calm as possible. This is what we have to do for now.” 

Her mother had brought her to the bunker a while back, letting her know that if they were ever to be compromised, she should take everyone there. After Alena had came to the mansion 3 years ago, and Felicity had seen the extent of her ability to generate portals, but only when she knows where the locations are, she'd brought her there as well. Alena's the only other person alive now that knows where it is and she'd kept it that way so that if MDA ever caught them, the chances of them torturing multiple of them and getting the location of that place was 2 instead of 7 or higher.

On the ground floor in the middle of the room, Alena brings her hands together in an almost clasp, a hint of blueish purple light sparking once, then twice, before it grows until it's about 12 ft tall and 10 ft wide. People start shuffling in as soon as they see the dark, dingy looking, but wide open space of the bunker.

What she hadn't told them was that the bunker’s capacity is 100 persons, because there's really no point in making that known and there's really no other choice right now. The space will be tight, but they have to make it work for all 152 of them. 

With everyone focused on getting to the other side of the portal, Felicity heads down from her spot to the ground floor, motioning to her commanding mutants to meet her half way. She reaches Alena first, taking in the way she's focused, yet being absolutely drained by the amount of energy it's taking her to have the portal open for so long. She hates to put this on her, hated asking this of her in the first place, but it's the quickest way to get everyone out. 

Placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, Felicity asks quietly, “How much more time do you have left in you?”

Through her gritted teeth, Alena forces out, “The longest I've gone is 5 minutes.”

Felicity looks around, noticing that there's still about three quarter of the population still left to go through, not to mention that there's still a few people running around to gather some essentials before they come down as well. “I’ll give you 10.”

She says that because, well, with everyone focused on getting out, she still needs to deflect MDA, who she feels are much closer now, following the dirt path to mansion. But every single person has to get through that portal, no matter what. So she gives Alena a look, and she knows she gets it because she nods and takes a deep breath, summoning all the strength Felicity knows she has. Barry, Iris, Dinah and Diggle reach them not long after. Dinah places her hand on Alena’s cheek and rubs it in support, watching as Alena closes her eyes briefly to relish the moment between them. After the show of affection for her girlfriend, she turns to them and they all follow Felicity as they make their way to the front of the mansion. 

After seeing Dinah and Alena, a tiny part of her mind flashes to Oliver, wondering briefly where he is and if he's on the other side yet, but she pushes the thought away, knowing that he'll be okay because he's smart enough to find safety… or at least she hopes he is.

“Okay so here’s the plan. There's some blocks of concrete around the side that came from the guard house that was destroyed a while ago. Diggle, I want you to stack them as high as you can along the front entrance. We have to make it difficult for them to get to us.” John nods his head in agreement before heading off the side to do just that.

She turns to Iris next, “I want you to create a line of fire in front the bushes there,” she points to the shrubs in question and Iris nods her head before doing just that as well. The entire mansion is surrounded by trees which had grown out over the years, with the small dirt driveway leading to the entrance. The trees provide cover, but, like she said, she wants to make things difficult for them. Watching Iris, she sees her take a lighter from her pocket, striking it once before using her powers to direct the fire along the grass. The fire grows under her control, and she moves sideways until the entire front of the house is shielded by a half ring of fire. Diggle returns with 2 enormous blocks of concretes, waiting until Iris is back on the front porch before he settles them down, placing one on top of the other. Both of them make up about 10 ft in height, towering over him. He turns to her briefly in question and she nods at her friend in approval, and then he's headed back in quick steps to continue building the barrier in front of the house, the fire blazing a couple feet ahead of it.

“How far are they now?” Barry questions as he turns to her, doing little to hide the fear he's feeling.

She takes a deep breath, feeling the massive magnetic pull of MDA’s weapons before sighing, “Less than 15 minutes out.” 

“I can't believe they're here.” Dinah says, glancing back inside the mansion every few minutes, her worry for Alena evident. 

“We should've realized sooner. We were literally just discussing them a while ago. And now we're all in danger.” Iris rubs her hands over face, then through her hair, highlighting the stress she's feeling, much like everyone else on this porch.

“What are we going to do next?” asks Dinah, her eyes locked on Felicity.

“Everyone’s going to the bunker…” she trails off.

Rolling her eyes slightly, Dinah goes on, “That's not what I meant. What are we going to do after? We go to the bunker, then what?”

Felicity does her best to hide the fact that she doesn't really know. She's made plans for if they ever got discovered, but having it actually happen? It's far different than any scenario she could've made up in her head. All she knows for now is that every person here has to leave this place and that MDA isn't getting their hands on any of them. She'll deal with the reality of what's to be done later.

“We'll cross that bridge when we get there.” she deadpans. She can tell Dinah wants to challenge her more, but the look on her face must tell her not to. Felicity turns to Barry, pointing her hand towards the large pole along the side of the house, “If you blow out that electricity post, how much will it affect?”

Stepping off the porch, he quickly makes his way to the pole. He puts his hand on it before closing his eyes and breathing in and out, “Aside from the mansion, it supplies power to everything within a mile, and is ultimately connected to a electricity substation a few miles out, so if I blow it-”

“It'll knock out power and communications everywhere within that distance?” Felicity finishes, somewhat familiar with these types of things, but also feeling it herself, although not as strongly as Barry.

Barry nods his head, “Yeah.”

If they knock out power, it won't stop MDA, but it'll sure slow them down. It's worth a shot.

“Do it.” she decides. Barry turns back around towards the pole, and blue electricity runs along the veins of his arms before a loud boom sounds from the large boxes at the top, a few gashes of fire coming from the transformers attached to it. A second after, she can hear the loud echoes of the explosions from the connected posts as well. The air stills in a way which signals the absence of electricity powering everything around them. She can't help the satisfied smile that blooms on her face. They're still approaching, but some of their radio waves have gone silent. Good.

When John is finished, he brushes the dirt from his shirt and hands, standing back to view his handy work. A tall line of concrete guards them, and just behind that she can see the flames coming from the fire Iris had started. MDA can out the fire, and they can get through the impromptu wall Diggle had built, but as long as their time is being spent doing that rather than getting access immediately, then it's well worth it.

As soon as John is back on the porch, Felicity begins to speak, “I want you all to head inside-”

“Felicity!” Cisco’s voice calls, making everyone turn their head towards him as he speeds through the door until he brings himself into a halt, “I know how they found out our location.”

At his declaration, everything within her screams to just hold this off until they're all safe, to wait until there isn't immediate danger ahead, because although they all want to know how they're here, they have to actually get away from them first. But the part of her that's stubborn, that needs to know how'd outplayed her, that's going crazy about how she'd failed everyone? Yeah, it overpowers any logic about waiting.

“How?” she asks, motioning for him to go ahead quickly. It's only then does she notice Oliver behind him, and she realizes that he must've went to find the technical mutant. She doesn't pay attention to the relief that runs through her at the fact that he’s safe when their eyes meet though. 

She focuses once again on Cisco when he starts speaking, going a mile a minute, “So when I was going over all the data since last month, I started noticing a pattern in their communications lines and I'm sorry for not realizing that it was right after Lyla was taken but, I think that's when they realised we were listening and started feeding incorrect information little by little. Like, they'd say they're at this street, but it would turn out to be the street over and it wouldn't be a big deal because it's not like anyone was caught or anything but… the point is, they've been playing us. They only made it seem like they got nothing, but they actually found out from Lyla that we were in this vicinity, and so they kept purposely chasing mutants to around this area for us to rescue them so they could draw us out more and more until they were close enough to the location of the mansion. Oliver was the final blow. Lance was there on the night they said he'd be, only not in the way they reported. He was on that road that you had collected the 17 year old water manipulator, and when you drove that way on your way back, he followed you here, or near here. Near enough to figure out that this is where we'd been hiding the whole time.”

After Cisco finishes speaking, the only thing that can be heard is the quiet blaze of the fire Iris had started along with the sounds of the leaves on the trees swaying in the wind. Everyone's stunned, probably unable to believe that this has been going on for far longer than they'd thought. She still doesn't even understand everything he'd said, caught up on the fact that they'd probably tortured information out of Lyla. And got it. She should've rescued her when she'd planned to, maybe none of this would've happened.

She looks over at Oliver to find him already looking at her, shame splashed across his face. At first she doesn't understand why, but then she thinks back to what Cisco just said. He thinks this is all his fault, which isn't true. They'd used him to further their efforts and he didn't actually have anything to do with it, but she doesn't know how to say that, so she tries her best to convey it with the sad smile she lets out on her face.

It's Diggle’s growl of anger that breaks the silence first, “So they hurt her even more than we originally thought? Is she even actually okay? Or is that false information too?”

Felicity’s heart dips, the pain in his voice her undoing. She turns to him, reaching out to place her hand on his arm. She doesn't get to though, because a force so strong sends the wall of concrete flying, the blocks landing in various places, 2 of them landing directly on the porch, the strength at which it'd been thrown sending everyone on their back in loud painful cracks.

At first she's disoriented, a ring in her ears that echoes for a few seconds. Her vision is blurry and her spine feels like someone went through a wrestling match with it, but she tries to focus, to clear the fog from her brain. When she sits up, the sight she’s greeted with on the lawn does nothing to sooth her already growing panic. Women and men padded in tactical gear are lined out, with more and more spilling out from one of the 3 large vans parked behind them, masks down to cover their face, the MDA shield on their arms and their weapons at ready.

She doesn't know where she finds the strength, but Felicity stands, ignoring the flare of ache that goes through her back. Everyone around her starts standing as well, all grunting in pain from their fall. Without looking back, Felicity shouts one word.

“GO!”

She doesn't have to see them to recognize the hesitation that they all feel, but she also doesn't have time to argue. So Felicity opens her mouth again. “I said go! Right now!”

It’s then that the agents open fire, having had enough of waiting it seems, and that must be what likely encourages them to start moving. She lifts her arms up and the purple energy circles her fingers as the stops each bullet before it even reaches the porch. Felicity feels a hand on her shoulder and she just knows it Diggle, trying to get her attention. She hears feet shuffling off to rush inside the house and then she's pretty sure it's just them. She can't be sure because her brain is fried.

When she looks up to Diggle, hands still out to stop the raining bullets, his face is open, and she knows without words being said that he's telling her to get inside as well. And she will, but not until all of them are through that portal and she’s aware her face says as much. He eyes her, and she doesn't want him to feel like he's about to lose her, like this is Lyla all over again, so she smiles softly at him before she's serious again, practically commanding him to go inside. Eventually he drops his hand from her shoulder and then steps away to do what she asks.

“Ms. Smoak. Surrender or we will blow this place down and all the mutants in it.”

The voice that echoes this is one that sends a shiver down her spine, and it's definitely not the good kind. Her stomach revolts in disgust at Lance’s tone over the megaphone he spoke into. She spots him almost immediately, his stare hard and unforgiving. He looks at her as if she's gum on the bottom of his shoe. He looks at her as if she's the scum of the earth. He looks at her with hatred and disgust.

She returns the sentiment just before she finds all of her strength and takes control of metal rims of the 4 wheels on the large van nearest to her, teeth gritting as she pulls with everything in her until the van is barrier between her and the armed agents. 

With a few seconds to herself, she rest into a near crouch, hands on her thighs as she tries to catch her breath, the ache in her back making itself known.

“Felicity! Are you coming?” her snaps around to find Oliver standing there behind her, his face open in worry, “Everyone’s through but Alena is barely holding on. We have to go now-”

He doesn't get to finish because from the side of the porch where she hadn't even noticed agents had snuck up, they hold a machine that creates that same powerful force which sends both herself and Oliver flying off the other side, falling and rolling backwards until they're behind the bushes surrounding the house. 

It could be for seconds or hours… she doesn't know how long she's down before she’s being shaken awake, pulled from her unconsciousness into reality. She sits up, looking into Oliver’s eyes and somehow she just knows.

They lost their chance. Everyone's gone.

He stands and pulls her to her feet, and it's just then that she feels the metallic pull from the MDA agents coming after them. She looks ahead of her and the only thing she sees are trees. The thick forest goes on for what she knows is 2 miles before you meet a road. It's a hell of a long way on foot, but what other choice do they have? 

So Felicity starts running, Oliver at a steady pace by her side. 

“What are we going to do?” he asks, his words coming out labored due to his heavy breathing. 

And you know what? She's mad at him. Angry at him for disobeying her orders again. She told everyone to get to safety. Why did he come back? He should've went through that portal and if Alena had to close it and leave her behind, well it would've just been her alone. But now he's gotten himself into this mess again. He's running, again. 

She doesn't understand him, at all.

“Why didn't you just go through the damn portal Oliver?” she asks instead of answering, trying to ignore the fatigue she feels along with the pain from both her falls.

He looks over at her, side stepping a fallen tree before glancing around to see if anyone's behind them. There isn't, but she can tell they haven't given up their search yet. “Why didn't you go inside either? You could've retreated but you stayed. Why?”

She shakes her head at him, but she knows there's truth in his words. She could've gone inside the moment everyone else did. It's not like they would've gotten to them, but she had stayed instead. Why did she do that?

“You can't answer a question with a question,” she chokes out instead, the muscles in her legs burning in a way that's almost unbearable, but she holds out, knowing there's no stopping.

Oliver huffs out a breath, and it's unfair that for the most part he looks unaffected by the toll the run is taking on him. Fuck him for being so fit honestly. 

“Why does it matter?” he asks, not answering her question yet again.

“Because you could've gotten to safety!”

He chuckles, and right then Felicity has the insane urge to hit him because what could be so funny in this moment right now? 

“Safety’s overrated,” he answers, finally giving something somewhat seeming like an answer, but she needs more than that, so she opens her mouth again, at a loss for where this sudden interest in him is coming from.

“Aren't you tired of running?” 

He sobers immediately at that, looking at her once again before ducking his head.

Feeling ashamed all of a sudden for just asking that outright, especially knowing what he's been through, Felicity begins apologizing, “I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way-”

All of a sudden, she's falling and rolling down a hill that she hadn't noticed the slight dip for. She hits multiple rocks and roots of trees on her way down, earning new injuries and adding pressure to the ones she'd already sustained. In the back of her mind, she hears Oliver lowering himself down in an effort to get to her, but gravity is pulling her down way faster than his controlled attempt to reach her. 

When she lands on level ground again, it takes her a few seconds to realize that something is wrong.

A searing pain rips through her previous aches and she looks down to her torso while reaching her hands towards the site of the sting. She feels something warm and it takes a minute to realize that it's blood. Something must've punctured her skin right below her ribs, and as the pain worsens, she can't help the way her mouth lets out a scream in agonizing horror. 

Oliver reaches her side then, muttering out a couple curse words when he sees her situation. He puts his hand on hers over the wound and tells her to keep pushing down before he places his arms under her legs and back and then lifts her, the change in position sending a flare of pain throughout her body. 

He begins walking swiftly, whispering over and over again that everything’s going to be fine but she doesn't know how true that is.

She can't make out anything except the throbbing twinge of her injury, so she doesn't even know if MDA has caught up to them. And as he continues walking and her wound keeps bleeding out, she doesn't know what will happen next, what she's supposed to do next.

She can feel herself losing it, because the only thing that she can make out is the pain. 

She looks up and sees the unclear image of the trees above, swaying in the wind and mocking her as they dance in celebration to her failure. 

The last thing she hears before she finally loses consciousness is Oliver telling her to hold on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! As usual, drop a kudos or a comment and if you love me, share it with your mutuals?


	4. Heavy Are The Shoulders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity wakes up in a strange place and has to deal with the physical consequences of what took place at the mansion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Chapter 4 is here! I actually really love this chapter and how it came out. Feel free to tell me how you felt and enjoy!

_Silence._

_That's the only thing that permeates the air around her. Her hands tremble where they're balled into fist and wrapped around her legs, her body having caged in on itself and it's only then that she realizes she's curled up into a ball. Her mind is muddled and things that should be second nature to her, things like breathing, take her a while to gain control of._

_Her conscience is thwarted, twisted and disembodied, the world around her a reflection she can not recognize. Her heart beats a maddening rhythm within her chest, and she doesn't know it, but she's waiting for the next bad thing to happen, for this reality she's found herself in to eat her whole, for her to seize being her._

_The universe shifts, and she lifts her head, her vision overshot by the blinding white lights around her. Once her eyes have adjusted, she looks around, noticing for the first time that she's in a small empty room. It's sterile and clean, giving off absolutely no scent. The ground beneath her is made of glass, reflecting the white light just like every other surface of the space. It feels like it could shatter if she makes even the slightest movement. Her fingers become numb from her efforts hold on to her reality._

_A chill runs down her spine when a booming familiar voice echoes throughout the room, disrupting the stillness that had settled around her. Disrupting the anxiety that had filled up her bones and adding the all but terrifying, jaw gnawing panic that she's known so long to be apart of who she is._

_“Where is he Ms. Smoak?” the monster asks, and she knows who this monster is, she knows she does, but her brain is sluggish, and she can't tell anything apart from anything. It scares her even more when the lights brighten and a shot of pain rushes throughout her body. She can't decipher the origin of the pain, only that it knocks her already out of balance state of being into a frenzy. Her whole body shifts to try to divert from the pain, sending her on her side as she clutches her legs to chest. The ground beneath her shakes and when she looks up, the sight that catches her eyes has her sitting up ungracefully in her haste to be upright, pain forgotten._

_There, across the now wide open space in front of her, is Diggle, Lyla, Dinah, Alena, Iris, Barry and Cisco, all dressed in purple scrubs, a sickly, pale tinge evident on all their faces. Their hands and feet are bounded by cuffs of metal, and it's only when she tries to gain control of their shackles does she realize that she can't and that like her friends, her neck holds a power blocker which prevents them all from using their powers._

_Behind them are MDA agents dressed in their combat uniforms with guns pointed towards all of them. Her stomach bottoms out._

_She doesn't know what to do, or what this is. How did they catch them all already? They're all supposed to be… somewhere. She's sure she got them to safety. She can't recall where, but as she looks at all of them, their backs hunched and their eyes dead, the one thing that she knows for sure begins blinking in neon lights within her subconscious mind._

_She failed them all._

_The man- the monster, steps up again, and her confused mind only sees a blurred face when the light hits him. In fact, when she looks back to all the MDA agents, all their faces are blurred, so much so that she can't make out anything on their features. The monster interrupts her perusal, “I’ll ask again Ms. Smoak. Where is he?”_

_His voice is hard and unforgiving, and it unknowingly alerts her to give him what he wants, only, she doesn't know who he's talking about. Her skin begins to overheat, droplets of sweat rushing down her forehead._

_“Who are you talking about?” she questions the blurred face before her, and she's aware of how weak and fragile her voice sounds, almost nothing like how she normally speaks. What has become of her?_

_“Oliver Queen! Where is he? Where are you hiding him?”_

_Oliver. She knows who that is. He's her… friend, right? She thinks he is. Only why does her heart flutter and constrict at the same time at the very thought of him?_

_All of a sudden, gut wrenching fear like she’s never felt before rips through her fuzzy reality, and she just can't have the monster know where he is._

_They can't find him. It's the most certain thing she's felt, other than that of the fact that she's failed everyone._

_“I… I don't know,” Felicity tries, placing both hands on the now concrete floor beside her torso as she pushes her body back ever so slowly farther away from the monster. When she glances behind him at her friends, they're all gone. The room is now dark, and the only other person here is the monster._

_With a gun in his hand pointed directly at her._

_“Wrong answer.”_

_He pulls the trigger._

__When Felicity comes to, it's to the echo of a gunshot rippling throughout her subconscious. For a moment, she's sure it actually caught her, because as she attempts to sit up, a searing pain from beneath her rips shoots throughout her entire body._ _

__She lets out a cry as the wound throbs hot and white, her hand flying there to feel what she's certain to be a bloody bullet puncture. Except when her fingers reach there, all she feels is a slightly damp bandage that's taped onto her torso._ _

__And then, everything comes rushing back to her._ _

__Her training Oliver. Them having a moment right before she ended it, then her feeling MDA approaching. Her telling everybody she had failed them then watching as Alena opened the portal. Her telling Diggle, Iris and Barry to help deter MDA. Cisco telling everybody how they were found out. MDA knocking them all on their feet. Her telling John to go. Oliver coming back for her, them getting left behind. Her getting hurt and then - nothing._ _

__Still shaken from her dream, it takes her even longer to realize that she doesn't even know where she is. From the softness of the surface beneath her back, she's sure she's on a bed, but it's certainly not hers._ _

__Her heart beats a staccato within her chest as the panic floods her body. She's used to being in control of everything and everyone around her. She always knows where she is, why she's there and how to get out of it at a moment's notice, but as she finally lifts her head to look around the room, it's painfully obvious that she has no control here and had no control in how she got here either. The room is dark, but not as dark as the cell like room in her dream. There are 2 windows opposite of her, only one of which are half open, allowing for rays of the sun to shine through, that being the only source of light in what seems to be early evening._ _

__Along with the bed, only a few other pieces of furniture are laid out. Next to her is a nightstand, and located between the 2 windows opposite of the bed is a wide chest of drawers. Aside from that, the room is bare._ _

__The air is still in a way that also reminds her very much of her dream, and part of her wonders if this is just another one as well, if this is just her mind playing tricks on her again._ _

__She attempts to sit up once more, her confusion and helplessness getting the best of her. Her entire body aches, and she remembers in detail how'd she been thrown bodily two times and had rolled down the hill, hitting various rocks and branches, one of which was likely the cause of her wound. Through gritted teeth, she manages to half lay against the headboard. By the time she's settled somewhat, her breaths are coming out in labored pants, and she’s anxious as to how in the hell she's going to get herself out of here if she can't even sit up without exerting herself._ _

__Finally, she carefully lifts the sheet from her skin and looks down at her body, ready to examine the extent of the damage._ _

__Her breath catches in her throat when she realizes that she's only in her black underwear, and self consciousness rushes through her once again as she wonders who in the hell got her undressed and stitched up. The large bandage on her torso is done well, however not professionally. Along with that, she notices other small cuts and bruises on her legs and some of the skin along her arms and ribs is discolored from the physical abuse it has endured from her falls. She hopes these don't take too long to heal._ _

__If Healer was there, she'd been in tip top shape in no time -_ _

__Oh fuck… Healer, her friends, the bunker. Without thinking, Felicity sits up, her mind going a mile a minute as it comes back to her that her friends are at the bunker and that she needs to get to them. She doesn't get far though, because a ear splitting scream echoes from her throat when the pain from her injury makes itself known once again._ _

__She settles back into her previous position, letting out a few hisses of pain, looking up a moment later when the door on the right side of the room flies open. She doesn't know who she expected it to be, but it certainly wasn't Oliver._ _

__His face is alert and worried, arms outstretched as if ready to attack at a moment's notice. When he realises it's just her, the tension slowly slips from his body as his arms drop to his side, eyes locked on hers as he approaches her._ _

__“Good. You're up.”_ _

__Making sure the sheet is covering all of her... well, parts, she shifts slightly, doing her best to conceal the twinge of pain that shoots through her, “Where am I?” she croaks, her throat dry and cracked. She coughs a few times in an effort to get some moisture there. Oliver inspects her shortly before ducking back behind the door he just came from._ _

__Her mind is still tripping over itself, trying to think of where she could possibly be. She knows that she's not in immediate danger, because as much of a stranger as he is, she somehow knows that Oliver wouldn't harm her, that he likely brought her here - where ever here is - because he thinks it's safe. But she's her, so as long as she's not in the know, her mind will continue to wander, and her skin will continue to overheat in anxiety._ _

__When he steps back into the room, he has a glass filled with water in one hand and a small bottle of what looks to be painkillers in the other. Stopping a few inches from the bed, he sets them down on the nightstand before stretching a hand out towards her, likely as an indication that he wants to help her up._ _

__She scoffs at him, ignoring his outstretched hand in favor of helping herself. Oliver shakes his head before crossing his hands over his chest, widening his stance as he stares down at her, intent on seeing her struggle. Well, screw him, she thinks. She's fine, and she certainly doesn't need his help._ _

__Discreetly blowing out a breath in anticipation, Felicity begins shifting herself up, hands planted at either side of her body, only trembling slightly as her tender muscles exert themselves. She doesn't know how, but she must move at an awkward angle because her muscles give out when pain sears through her from her wound. She plasters her lips together, her yelp of pain coming out in a quiet moan._ _

__When she's flat on her back again, she looks up at Oliver, seeing the forced amusement clear on his face. It's obvious he isn't enjoying seeing her in pain, but too self centred to let the fact that he's right go. He stretches his hand out once more._ _

__“You're too stubborn for your own good.”_ _

__Felicity looks down at his hand for a second, not willing to admit that she's having a hard time being unable to do this by herself. She's stubborn, that much is true, and also only willing to accept help if there's no other way. It's obvious to her now that this has become her new situation, and it likely will be for a couple more days until she's back to herself again._ _

__So she sighs, closing her eyes briefly before she slips her hand within his. When their skins touch, her body lights aflame as she expected, but she pushes that deep down, fighting her instinct to explore it. Instead, she pretends like it had no effect on her, watching as he pretends it didn't affect him either._ _

__He trails both his hands up her arms until they reach her shoulder, and with him so close, she can smell the light scent of maple syrup stained on his shirt along with something else she can't place, a smell that's purely him._ _

__She likes it._ _

__When his arms reach her shoulders, he pulls her up gracefully and carefully, as if she's 1000 year old fine china that he'd be killed for if he broke. It's oddly intimate, what with the way his hands run down her arms again as he let's go. But she doesn't think he does it with that intention. He's just trying to make sure he doesn't hurt her. At least that's what she tells herself._ _

__When she's actually upright, sitting against the headboard, he reaches for the water and medication on the nightstand. He opens the small bottle, shaking out 2 white painkillers before he drops them into her open palm._ _

__“They're strong, but they take a little while before they kick in.”_ _

__She nods her head, not really caring how long they take, just needing the guarantee that she'll get some reprieve from the pain soon. Bringing the pills to her lips, she tosses them into her mouth before reaching out her other hand for the water. As soon as he gives it to her, she chugs on it, the pills swallowed along with the water as it soothes the dry ache of her throat. It feels amazing._ _

__When she hands him back the glass, she runs the back of her hand over her mouth to wipe away the leftover water on her lips, feeling Oliver’s eyes on her all the while. “Are you hungry? You should probably eat something.”_ _

__“You still haven't answered my question,” she reminds him, because as much as her anxiety and panic has given out some, she still doesn't like the unknown. And she needs to start making plans for when she's better so she can get back to her people._ _

__He sighs, muttering, “Stubborn and persistent.” she pretends she doesn't hear._ _

__He clears his throat before speaking more loudly to her, “This is my friend Tommy’s apartment.”_ _

__She looks around the room, looking for what... she's unclear. The place does look lived in, though she's a little uncomfortable being in what she assumes to be the bed of a man she's never met. She tugs the sheet closer around her torso, taking care that nothing is showing in her upright position. When Oliver doesn't elaborate, she tilts her head at him, “And where’s Tommy?”_ _

__Something passes over his face so fast that she'd almost missed it, but she hasn't taken her eyes off him for more than a second since he's been here. So she knows whatever he says next must be something that affects him, at least to some extent._ _

__“Tommy doesn't live here anymore. And this was his guest room, so… you don't have to feel uncomfortable.”_ _

__Skipping over the fact that he'd noticed her discomfort, Felicity latches onto the small tidbit that he'd just given her. “And where’s here?” she tries again._ _

__“Hub City,” he supplies, smiling hesitantly at her._ _

__“Hub City? You brought me all the way to Hub City?” Star City is the farthest neighboring city for Hub City, and while it would take about half a day by car to get here, it's impossible on foot, and damn near a myth if you're carrying someone that's injured._ _

__“I uh… I got a ride from a guy on that road a couple miles outside the mansion.” he answers, rubbing the back of his neck in nervousness._ _

__Suddenly angry at the implications of his words, Felicity breathes through her nose to calm the steam that's sure to be coming out of her ears, “You got a ride? From a random guy? With MDA hot on our trail? Have you lost your mind?”_ _

__Letting out a harsh laugh, he steps back slightly as he whispers, “Oh, only some of it.”_ _

__Shame fills her up immediately at the dejected look on his face, and she feels awful for not only what she just said, but for saying it when it's clear that they're safe, that he'd got her to safety while she was hurt. She should be grateful. Before she can apologize though, Oliver’s speaking again._ _

__“The guy wanted to help okay? He saw how hurt you were so I told him I just needed a ride to Hub City. Believe it or not, not every human hates mutants Felicity.”_ _

__Her names slips from him tongue with barely disguised anger and she decides that she doesn't like it. Oliver isn't a overly happy person, and she knows his life has been filled with pain, but he's always came across as a humorous kind of guy - or at least he uses his humor to hide his pain... and broods on occasion. When she'd been avoiding him that first week, she'd catch glimpses of him by himself, caught up in his own mind, in his own self proclaimed guilt. But she's never seen him actually angry, apart from when they were running from MDA and he'd only seemed slightly mad at her for not seeking safety. She doesn't think about the fact that both times her wellbeing was an important factor._ _

__“I know that. And I'm grateful for you for carrying me at my weakest - something that'll never happen again - but so much could've gone wrong.”_ _

__His face softens in understanding as his he nods his head at her, clasping his hands in front of him, his body much more open and tension free. “Now that I've answered your question, I made pancakes. You want?”_ _

__Shrugging slightly, Felicity takes his change of attitude in stride, “Isn't it a little too late for pancakes?” she asks, having noticed that there's a digital clock on the nightstand. It reads 5:17pm._ _

__Scoffing at her, he answers dramatically, “It's never too late for pancakes.” There's a thoughtful look on his face as his eyes glance towards to ceiling, searching his fogged up memories for something she's not sure of. “My sister Thea loved pancakes for dinner, I think… I started doing it for her when Mom wasn't at home. Kind of caught on for me too.”_ _

__She smiles unintentionally at the thought. She's never had a biological sibling but she guesses they're cool to have. And Oliver seems like a good big brother so she really hopes he gets to be one again._ _

__Felicity nods at him, “I could eat.”_ _

__He gives her one last soft smile before turning around and going through the door. It's just then does she notice that he's walking with slight limp, evidence that suggests he was hurt too when he was thrown by the device._ _

__Though as soon as he's gone, he brings the lightness with him._ _

__She runs back over the conversation, making note of all things that map out how she got here. He'd got a ride from a man, who'd somehow agreed to bring them to Hub City, and now they're at his friend Tommy’s house. She still doesn't know where exactly in the city they are, but she can make a guess as to how long it'll take her to get to the bunker._ _

__A gust of wind blows through the half open window, shaking the tree that's positioned right on the glass. It taps on it a few times, and the sounds of the leaves swaying reminds her of how those trees in the forest outside the mansion had mocked her. Her skin tingles as the breezes catches it, and it's just now that the grime, dirt and blood from her fall register to her._ _

__She feels dirty, and she desperately needs to scrub that experience from her skin. Felicity lowers her hand to the bandage below her ribs, and it's obvious that it needs a change from the blood that had soaked through and the dried sweat and dirt that has seeped into in from her skin. It makes her wonder again who applied it. And then it makes her wonder just how long she's been out._ _

__Before she can ponder that any longer, the door opens once again as Oliver returns, this time with a plate stacked with 3 pancakes on it, syrup dripping from the side of the one at the very top. Her stomach grumbles._ _

__Guess she really was hungry._ _

__When she stretches out her hand for the plate this time, pain doesn't shoot through her like she expected. And she's glad to note that the painkiller is kicking in, even though she hadn't even ate yet._ _

__As soon as the plate lands in her hand, she pretty much devours the pancakes, steadily ignoring Oliver when he jokingly suggests giving her and her food the room._ _

__When she's finished, she sets her plate on the nightstand, her movements becoming more and more liberated now that the pain has somewhat subsided even more. She turns her eyes on Oliver, not mentioning that he'd basically spent the whole time watching her. “I uh… I want to take a shower. Is there some clothes I could borrow or...”_ _

__His eyes widen as he appears to recall something, “Oh. yeah, yes. There’s some women's clothing that I got for you.”_ _

__He stands there, just looking at her for a moment, not realizing that she needs to him leave so she can head to the bathroom. She catches his eyes, motioning to the bathroom before focusing on him once more, widening her eyes so he gets the point._ _

__The tip of his ears redden in embarrassment as he closes his eyes and shakes his head, stepping back slowly as he asks, “Do you want me to help you up?”_ _

__She thinks about it for a second, knowing that he's genuinely just wanting to help, the food in her making her more accepting of it, it seems. She's feeling much better, but she knows that the first time you try getting up after being on your back for an extended amount of time can be trippy. So eventually, she nods her head, gathering the sheet around her as he approaches._ _

__She swings her legs around until she's sitting on the edge of the bed and then Oliver reaches for her hand, grabbing onto her forearm as her legs tremble while she gets into a standing position. Aside from the buzz of the blood rushing to her feet, she doesn't feel like she can't manage, so she tucks the sheet around her once more before she starts walking towards the other door in the room where the bathroom is located, Oliver’s hand slipping from hers._ _

__Two steps later, her leg gives out, the muscle sore and obviously not quite there yet. She waits for her ass to hit the ground, only it never does. Oliver’s arm is wrapped around her, their hips side to side as he keeps her upright._ _

__Letting out a frustrated breath, Felicity comments, “This sucks.”_ _

__“I'll walk you to the bathroom,” he says, not bringing up her weakness. She doesn't know why but she's grateful that he hadn't._ _

__With most of her weight supported by him, they stumble slowly to the bathroom, where thankfully, there is both a tub and a shower. She points to the closed toilet seat, motioning for him to set her there. With the sheet still wrapped carefully around her, Oliver helps her sit before he points to the vanity next to her. “There's a first aid kit in there with all the supplies for reapplying your bandage. You only got 3 stitches, which I’m sure none of were torn, so they might just need to be cleaned up. I'll leave some clean clothes for you on the bed.”_ _

__Nodding at her, she gives him a small smile in thanks before he turns and exists the room, shutting the door behind him. A second later she hears the door to the bedroom being closed as well. And then she's alone._ _

__“You can do this,” she whispers to herself as she attempts to stand once more. Her legs don't feel as shaky as a moment ago, and she takes that as a good sign. Once she's upright again, she let's the sheet drop the ground. Stepping over it, she walks carefully to the full length mirror beside the vanity._ _

__She stares at her reflection, and she doesn't really have any other description for what she sees except for that she looks like shit. Her hair is literally a bird's nest, knotted and filled with dirt and small pebbles, and she's surprised that an actual bird hasn't taken up residence in there. Her arms have a few angry red cuts and bruises on them. Her black bra is stained slightly with what she's sure is her blood. Her ribs, along with the bandaged puncture wound, are bruised purple and red from smaller cuts. Her panties match her bra, not just in color, but from the small red blood drops. Her thighs and legs house a few small cuts as well._ _

__It's hard to see, but they'll all heal. Her eyes do water as she takes in her damaged body though._ _

__She strips herself of her bra and panties, her body still sore, but much more bearable as her arms twist around to unhook the bra. Next, she reaches for the tape of the bandage, hissing when the sticky side tugs her skin as she pulls. Once it's completely off, she disposes of it and her underwear into the small bin by the side of the toilet. Looking back into the mirror, she eyes the wound, running her finger lightly over the small stitches within her skin. If Oliver was the one who did it, he's definitely not bad at it._ _

__When she turns around, eyes glancing between the shower and tub, she ultimately decides to go with the shower because she’d much rather not sit in her own dirt and blood. It'll be harder to stand for an extended amount of time, but luckily there's a small bench like ledge in the shower, so she can sit if her legs give out again._ _

__She steps carefully into the shower, turning the knob up the hottest temperature. The water stings as it hits her skin, but in that wonderfully painful way. She savors it. She can feel the dirt and grime being washed from her skin, and it's only then does her mind betray her._ _

__She failed her people._ _

__Felicity Smoak failed._ _

__She told people that came to the mansion that it was a safe place. She told them that they could be themselves there, that they never had to fear for their lives again. That she would fight for them, and that she'd teach them to fight for themselves._ _

__And look at where they are now._ _

__It was all lies._ _

__The one place they'd felt comfortable enough to be who they are in was taken from them, from her. Her mother's legacy will likely be wiped away._ _

__Just because she never saw them coming. She didn't see them coming that night at the diner with John and Lyla, and then when she did at the mansion, it was too late anyways._ _

__Her control has been scrubbed from her, and her sanity is on a thin leash, dangling ever so lightly in the wind. Nothing's certain anymore, and everything that has been accomplished is just a memory._ _

__She feels raw, not just from the hot water pouring from the pipe above her, but from the events of the last day, or however long ago it was. She still isn't really sure how long she was out. Another thing that she's managed to fail at._ _

__She has to be taken care of now, and when Oliver had to help her in just now, she'd felt like such a burden, such an unwanted obstacle that he somehow has to cross. When did she become this? How did she fail so miserably?_ _

__It takes her a little while to realise that her tears have mixed with the water pouring down on her, and that sobs had ripped from her chest._ _

__But she does feel Oliver’s body hovering at the door outside the room, the metal from his belt buckle alerting her, and it's not even just that. She can sense him anywhere now that the physical pain isn't the only thing she's feeling. He'd obviously heard her crying, and it just adds to the ever growing list of vulnerable situations he's seen her in._ _

__No one has seen this side of her, and it unsettles her that this stranger has seen more than she's ever been able to show._ _

__After a while, he steps away, probably figuring that there's nothing he can do for her. And she honestly rightfully deserves to wallow in guilt. Everything is actually her fault._ _

__She should've seen them coming._ _

__She reaches for the body wash and a loofah, getting it soapy before scrubbing the dirt left over on her skin. Her whole body is numb, and she's unsure if it's from the painkillers, or because she's so emotionally overwhelmed._ _

__Her mind wanders to John, to her best friend, probably beating himself up over the fact that he's lost yet another person, because he'd lost his wife and now her. He's lost his home too, and now he has to take care of everyone in her absence. She wishes she didn't fuck up everyone's life the way she does._ _

__She hopes Alena and Dinah are taking care of each, that they're holding each other tight, and that they're not letting their strong personalities strain their relationship and their responsibilities to everyone else._ _

__She prays to some undefined god that Iris is okay, that Barry is keeping her cool. She hopes Cisco isn't dying with guilt, but somehow she's just positive he is._ _

__He shouldn't though. Because like she said, this is all her fault._ _

__After she washes the last of the soap from her body and conditioner from her hair, satisfied that at least her body is clean, Felicity shuts the water off and steps out of the shower. She walks carefully to the vanity, pulling out the first aid kit Oliver had told her about. She finds a healing ointment in there and applies it to some of the smaller cuts on her body, her eyes watering a few times in her still emotional state. She dries the wound and the area around it before putting some of the ointment there then applying the dressing carefully on it. This one is much smaller, but nonetheless useful._ _

__When she's finished, she dries the rest of her body with the towel she'd found in vanity before wrapping it around her torso and walking towards the door and pulling it open. Her muscles are much stronger now, but they're getting tired from her standing so long in the shower. When she steps into the room, she spots the clothes Oliver had left for her._ _

__She flips through her options. Most of the stuff are just some black T shirts, sweats, colored blouses and jeans, all seeming to be around her size. When she spots the underwears underneath though, her cheeks heat up. She doesn't think about the fact that they all look new and around her size as well._ _

__She hastily pulls on a pair of underwear before pulling on a black sweater, taking note of the slight chill in the air, not really sure if it's the weather or her anxiety causing her body’s temperature to drop. After pulling on a pair of jeans, she throws the rest of the clothes in the chest of drawers._ _

__And then she doesn't know what to do._ _

__She doesn't want to be alone, but she also doesn't want to be a burden to Oliver, doesn't want to be someone who needs him when he doesn't really owe her anything. He's doing all this out of the goodness of his heart after all._ _

__When she sits down on the bed, running her hands through her now damp hair, Oliver knocks on the door. She'd felt him before he'd even approached it._ _

__“Come in,” she says, and she's aware of how broken she sounds._ _

__He pushes the door open, and she realizes that he's changed clothes as well, likely having just taken a shower too. He steps inside, closing the distance between them with an unreadable expression on his face. He motions to the bed, “Can I sit?”_ _

__She nods and he sits, leaving a good amount of space between them. He's silent at first, and she can practically feel his mind going a mile a minute, probably trying to find the right words to say. When he does speak though, her heart constricts within her ribcage._ _

__“What happened wasn't your fault Felicity.” her name spills like sweet syrup from his lips, and goosebumps form along her arms. She ignores it, focusing instead on his words and how wrong he is._ _

__“It is my fault. I didn't notice that they'd been on us for more than a month Oliver. A month.”_ _

__“Okay, but neither did anyone else. So by your logic, it's John’s fault, and Dinah’s fault. It's Cisco fault MDA made strategic plays and used me and other mutants to trace you back to the mansion, right?”_ _

__“No of course it's not their fault but-”_ _

__“But what Felicity? How can you say it's on you when no one else figured it out either?” he interrupts, his frustration fueling hers._ _

__“Because I'm their leader. If something goes wrong under my leadership, it's on me.”_ _

__“That's bullshit,” he insists, throwing his hands up in anger. He stands and begins to pace in front of her, his broad shoulders moving quickly as his breath comes out in harsh pants. It's then that she remembers that she's not the only one carrying guilt._ _

__“What happened wasn't your fault either.”_ _

__He lets out a fake chuckle at her words, standing in one spot as he asks, “Were you not there when Cisco literally said that I was the last straw? I literally led them to your door.”_ _

__Not wanting him to carry any blame here, Felicity insists, “Well if I hadn't failed from long before, he wouldn't have gotten as close as he had anyway.”_ _

__He sits back on the bed, the chuckle he lets out this time real, “You're not going to let this blame go are you?”_ _

__“I'm stubborn.” she reminds him, and a seriousness settles over them, because though they can smile about her stubbornness now, her lack of proper leadership caused everyone the mansion, caused them their home._ _

__Felicity blows out a tired breath, exhausted from it all._ _

__She wants to stop thinking about it, for just a second, so she opens her mouth, “Where’d you get the clothes?” she questions, pointing to the sweater she's wearing._ _

__“Tommy’s neighbor Mckenna. She also stitched you up yesterday.”_ _

__Oh._ _

__She doesn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed that he wasn't the one that undressed her. She goes with just ignoring it altogether. It also hits her that he just said yesterday, which means she's been out for two days. Cool._ _

__“Ah, well can you tell her thank you for me?” he nods his head, eyes locked on hers as he searches for something she's not certain of._ _

__There's something else she wants to know, and she ultimately just let's it fly from her lips instead of keeping it in. “What happened with Tommy? Why doesn't he live here anymore?”_ _

__Oliver’s shoulders straighten, tension filling up his entire body. His eyes avoid hers before he just lets out a sigh, scrubbing his hand over his face. “Tommy moved across the country to further his residency as a doctor. And I was supposed to go with him. Specifically that night that you came for me.”_ _

__He looks back over at her, and the weight of his words settle on her shoulders._ _

__Did she cause Oliver his freedom?_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH NO! 
> 
> Honestly, another one of Felicity's powers is self blame. 
> 
> Tell me how you feel!


	5. Atomic Blonde

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity gets a call from an old friend and is later on presented with an notion that could change everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So far for this fic I've been able to update weekly but I had midterms recently which prevented me from writing. 
> 
> I recently made a playlist on youtube for this as well. it's ultimately just a collection of music I usually listen to while writing this fic in particular. If you're interested, listen [here](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnKkBCPxO8C1VBblU-H1tdhFOQP-ZMzpg) while you read!
> 
> Anyways, here's chapter 5! Hope you enjoy!

Previously…

_Oliver’s shoulders straighten, tension filling up his entire body. His eyes avoid hers before he just lets out a sigh, scrubbing his hand over his face. “Tommy moved across the country to further his residency as a doctor. And I was supposed to go with him. Specifically that night that you came for me.”_

_He looks back over at her, and the weight of his words settle on her shoulders._

_Did she cause Oliver his freedom? ___

__

__A tiredness washes over her, forcing a shadow within her bones, and her entire body droops in shame. She thinks back to that night that they'd ‘rescued’ him, to how he'd been in a hurry to get away from them. And then Felicity thinks about when he’d agreed, she thinks again about how hesitant he seemed, how the decision seemed to have shaken him up far more than she had paid attention to._ _

__It’s funny how it's only now that she can actually see that maybe he wasn't afraid. Maybe he was just trying to get to where he's supposed to be. How did she miss that?_ _

__But, he came… He made his choice to come with them, with her, and granted, she knew she made a good wager, that the thought of his father was convincing enough to change his mind, but at the cost of actual freedom? She doesn't think it's worth. And with what happened with MDA a few days ago, it's definite proof that is wasn't._ _

__Oliver speaking shakes her away from her thoughts, “It's okay... you don't have to… I made that choice knowing that things could turn sideways.”_ _

__Shifting slightly on the bed so she can face him fully, Felicity searches his face, wanting, needing to see the truth in his words, needing to find out what it is that he isn't saying. But she barely knows him, doesn't know his tells, doesn't know if he's hiding behind his words. But though his face gives off nothing, his eyes shine in a way that's unable to conceal his real emotions._ _

__“Why?” she asks tentatively, taking in the way his Adam's apple bobs within his throat as he swallows heavily, ready to analyze every word before they fall from her lips, and his eyes take in her every movement as they caress her skin. She shivers slightly under his stare._ _

__“Why what?” he answers in that not an answer way. His lips turn up into a small smile, and she recognizes this as him using humor to cover up his real feelings._ _

__“Why did you come with us that night? MDA are in every state but you're not wanted in all of them. They wouldn't have expected you where ever it is that your friend moved. You could've had your freedom. Why didn't you take that chance?” she questions harshly, not letting up even slightly. She needs this, a part of her desperately wanting to know that this isn't another thing that they could've avoided. She doesn't think she can handle another failure._ _

__Oliver’s eyes duck away from hers, his discomfort evident in the way his body tenses once again. “Because of you… uh, of what you said, really.”_ _

__Heart beating a ricochet within her chest, Felicity breathes out, “Oliver…”_ _

__She dismisses his attempt to brush off what he said, taking in what he'd implied and for once is unable to form words. She knows that there's a thing between them. It's physical, so much so that's it almost palpable. But it's more than that. What with the way anytime they touch she feels an indescribable feeling passing through both of them. But she hasn't been giving it much thought because for one, she’s been out since the attack at the mansion and she'd also been intent on just avoiding it. And that's because the part of her that's afraid of the ugly side of her coming out again is also afraid that the thing Oliver and herself share is 100 times worse._ _

__The fact that he came with them that night because of her implies real feelings, and she knows she's not ready, now or probably for a while, to think or talk about that._ _

__He must see the panic on her face because he hurries to fix what he said, or at least try to. “I mean, you said my father and your mother ran the Xmen and I realized that you were apart of this organization that MDA kept insisting I knew about. And I… I've never felt like I belong anywhere, always felt like there's a piece of me missing and when you told me about it, I don't know. It just felt like it was what I was supposed to do.”_ _

__He shakes his head, bringing a hand up to run over his jaw as he sighs before continuing slowly, “Tommy’s not a mutant, but he's a good friend, a really great one for even offering to let me stay with him in North Carolina until I can find a place of my own, but I just know that it'd be temporary. That somehow I'd be on the run again, and I'd rather be on the run here, with the other mutants… than alone.”_ _

__His fingers run along the edge of the grey-white sheet of the bed, eyes downcast as he finishes. She supposes she gets it, and she decides she won't take the blame for this one. If this is where he wants to be, with the other mutants, with a purpose, then how can she find fault in that? It's his choice at the end of the day, and she can't deny that not only is he useful, but that she doesn't mind having him around._ _

__He must take her silence as a cue to leave because he clears his throat quietly before standing gracefully and taking a few small steps for the door._ _

__“I'm glad you made the choice you did.” she whispers, barely aware her brain had conjured up those words in the first place. Her cheeks heat up in an unfamiliar show of embarrassment and she internally chastises herself as he spins around to face her once more._ _

__His eyes are wide in shock, likely because he wasn't expecting the admission from her and he's not the only one. Eventually, his posture loosens as the tension that had filled up both the room and his body slips aways. “So am I,” he says, smiling a shining grin before going on, “You must be tired so I'll leave you so you can get some rest and heal. If you need anything, just yell.” He keeps eye contact with her until she nods her head in agreement, returning the gesture before limping slightly out of the room._ _

__As the door closes behind him, Felicity throws her body back onto the bed, the pain only slightly there now. Oliver's right, she is tired, both physically and mentally. So, she's going to get some rest, hope her body gets back to normal soon enough, and then she'll make her plans to get back to her people, because no matter what, they are her priority. Everything else - anyone else, is just a distraction. She can't afford those._ _

__**_ _

__Felicity spends exactly one and a half more days confined within the room, going in and out of slumber countless amount of times. Oliver brings her food at the appropriate hours, ensuring that she's okay and that she hasn't attempted to escape, is her guess anyway._ _

__Though she's been sleeping for the most part, she's grown tired of the space and is in dire need of a change in environment. Throughout the few days, the pain from her injuries had lessened, allowing for her powers to gain their strength once more. She'd been able to feel all the electromagnetic energy within the apartment, and then gradually throughout the entire building._ _

__It's safe to say that she's curious about where she is, had been since the moment she woke up, but had deemed herself safe enough to let her guard down and just prioritize her healing process._ _

__But she's tired of staring at that stupid window across from her. It's stuck half open, and she could use her powers to move it, but had decided not to for fear of someone seeing her from the other side down by the street below._ _

__Felicity had walked the 4 walls of the room, and is far more acquainted with the squeak of the floorboards than she'll ever need to be. The window mocks her, and the floorboards squeak in complaint as she paces over them, and she's quite obviously about to lose her mind if she stays in that room any longer._ _

__So, 2 days after she woke up, she marches to the door to pull it open in frustration, and really, who can blame her?_ _

__Taking a deep breath, she steps outside the space and is met with a hallway, the room she's stepping out of seeming to be the last one. There's a door on her right and two more on her left, and she decides not to take either of them in favour of just heading straight to the living area._ _

__She's 3 steps in her pursuit of her destination when her body buzzes, the acclimation she has with him making itself known as she feels him moving to exit the first door on her left. Oliver’s figure appears as he steps into the hall, and Felicity breath stills within her throat when her eyes meet the sight of his bare back._ _

__There's a shirt hanging in one hand and a phone in the other as he holds it into his ear, and she can't really make out a thing he's saying because her blood pounding is the only sound that she's capable of processing at the moment._ _

__She’d known he was muscular, his build not really something you can miss, and though seeing the broadness of his shoulder blades along with the muscles rippling on his back on full display is a sight to behold, that isn't what has her reacting this way._ _

__It's the small litter of scars on the surface of his skin._ _

__They're not big, but they're not small either, and she can't really identify what was used to do… that to him. Her heart breaks within her chest, realizing that MDA had likely been the cause of it. On top of messing up a part of his mind, they'd messed him up physically too. If she didn't hated them before, she sure does now._ _

__Felicity does her best to calm her heartbeat, willing the pounding in her ears to go away. Oliver, for his part, seems to have not noticed her because he continues on into the living room and she begins walking once more so she can trail behind him quietly._ _

__As soon as she's somewhat back to normal, deciding not to bring up the fact that she was staring, or the fact that she'd seen a part of him she just knows he's insecure about, Felicity’s able to decipher the last part of the one sided conversation she’s capable of hearing._ _

__“Yeah, she's just been sleeping, which is good… she's getting better for sure,” he pauses, likely listening to the person on the other side of the call, “Yeah, yeah, of course you can come over. I owe you way too much to be denying entrance if we're being honest.” He chuckles lightly before bidding the person goodbye, setting down the phone on a side table as he reaches the living area._ _

__His strong legs march over to the open concept kitchen just as he begins tugging on the T shirt he'd had in his hand, and it's only when he's fully clothed does she make her presence known._ _

__“Who was that?”_ _

__Oliver's head flies around to the sound of her voice, eyes wide when he sees it's her. “Are you okay?” is the first thing he asks, his eyes glancing down to her wound that's covered by the white - yes, white - shirt that she's dressed in._ _

__Placing her hand over it, she takes a few steps forward, “It no longer feels like I'm being punched every time I breath, so yeah, I think I'm okay.”_ _

__He smiles at her, something he does quite a lot, she might add, before turning to the small island at the centre of the kitchen to pull off a banana from the bunch that's located on top among 3 other apples. “I see you've left your purgatory.” He adds, sliding back around to lean against the island as he begins peeling the fruit._ _

__“I know you're only joking but it legitimately felt like it was.” She says as she finally decides to sit at the small dining table beside the island._ _

__Taking a bite out of his snack, he chews on it before going on, “Oh, it wasn't that bad.”_ _

__“You try being in a room for 2 days - and that's only the time I was conscious for - and see how you feel.”_ _

__She's feeling oddly at peace, nothing weighing her down at this particular moment. No MDA, no mansion full of mutants to protect, no responsibilities. Just her, and the guy she's known for 2 weeks but feels like she's known for far longer. It's easy, and not complicated, something she's unused to, and while that normally unsettles her, right now, it doesn't. She doesn't know why, but her anxiety is giving her a break._ _

__It's much appreciated though._ _

__Oliver tosses the skin of the finished banana into the disposal bin off the side of the kitchen, “Point taken.” facing her once more, he questions again, “You hungry?”_ _

__It's only noon, and he'd given her breakfast just 2 and a half hours ago, so she passes, instead asking again, “Who was that on the phone?”_ _

__Eyebrows raising in realisation, he crosses his arms over his chest gracefully and states simply, “Oh, that was Mckenna. She house-sits for Tommy since his lease isn't technically up yet.”_ _

__Mckenna. Right. The woman that stitched her up. She's grateful to her for doing what she did and the fact that she'd helped someone she didn't know means that she's at least a good person. But Felicity is Felicity and she doesn't know anything about her. She's never been one to trust easily and this situation isn't any different._ _

__Taking her silence as disapproval, Oliver speaks up, “I hope you don't mind… she's been kind of keeping me company the past few days, and she's not a mutant, but like Tommy, she's really cool. There's no need to worry about her or anything.”_ _

__How he knows exactly what she'd been thinking, she's unsure, but she just nods her head, feeling that if he trusts Mckenna then maybe she should give her the benefit of the doubt. It's no secret that non mutants aren't her favorite people, but she's not pretentious enough to think that they're aren't good ones out there, because after all, the Xmen couldn't have been what it was if it weren't for the help of a handful of those very same good people, especially the ones with political power._ _

__But when you've seen what she's seen, and experienced what she's experience, it's easy to forget sometimes that everyone isn't after you, or that everyone isn't a threat._ _

__So, she braces herself when there's knock on the front door, not really sure what to expect but her anxiety finally making a come back as it conjures up every way things could go wrong._ _

__Oliver steps away from the kitchen, closing the short distance to the front door. When he opens it, Felicity catches sight of a beautiful, fairly brown skin, brunette woman. Not expecting her to be out here, McKenna launches off into talking to Oliver as she makes her way in._ _

__“So I asked my friend from down the street if there were any suspicious looking women or men walking about and he said that he hadn't seen anyone, only he swore he saw Martin Luther King Jr this one time, so I don't think we should trust his judgement 100%... Nevertheless though, I think you guys are still in the clear-”_ _

__Her mouth hangs open once she catches sight of Felicity at the dining table, cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment for having not noticed her. Felicity stands and offers a small smile, looking towards Oliver who's standing behind her for a millisecond._ _

__“Hey,” she offers, coming face to face to her in the centre of the room, “it's nice to finally meet you while conscious.”_ _

__McKenna smiles, and did she mention how beautiful she is?_ _

__“It's nice to meet you while you're conscious too.” She glances down towards where the wound is hidden before looking back at her once more. “How's it coming along?”_ _

__“Pretty good honestly. Thank you for what you did. I don't know how I'm going to pay you back.” Mckenna’s shaking her head before she even finishes her sentence._ _

__“You were hurt, unfairly, I might add, and you needed help. It's the absolute least I could do.” Her eyes had turned hard when she started, obviously a fire within her that burns when it comes to injustice, but they soften once more as she insists that it was no problem. Not used to just taking help, but not wanting to push things any further, Felicity drops it._ _

__“Either way, thank you. Where'd you learn to do that by the way? Stitch wounds, I mean. It was done quite well.” She's somehow found herself on the couch, Mckenna sitting next to her as she attempts to act like a normal human being who can carry out a conversation. She's used to discussing battle plans, and shipment request, and training techniques. So much so that things like this don't come easy to her, but like with Oliver a moment ago, it's easy - not as much - but it's fairly bearable._ _

__Oliver speaks up for the first time since Mckenna showed up. “Mckenna’s actually a junior police officer. So she's had a little medical training.” The woman in question smiles brightly at him at his words and a tiny part of her brain conjures up the thought that maybe there's something going on between them. She shakes it off before it can spiral anywhere though because not only is it not relevant, but why in the hell should she care?_ _

__She focuses instead on the tidbit of information about Mckenna. “You're a cop?” And she doesn't mean for it to come out the way it does, all judgemental and slightly accusing, but she has to admit that she'll always have a hard time believing that someone who follows the law would give a shit about people like her and Oliver. And that's because to homosapiens like Mckenna, their very existence is a breach of the constitution._ _

__But Mckenna just laughs it off, tucking a stray hair behind her ear as she speaks, tone light and playful, “Yup. 4 years now. And I know, it's weird. Especially to someone like you, but a lot of us stand behind you. You have to believe that.”_ _

__Suddenly emotional at the thought, Felicity swallows heavily as she ducks her head, allowing her hair to act as a curtain as it covers her face. She thinks back to a while ago when Oliver had told her Mckenna was coming over, thinks about how sometimes she forgets that she's not the only person in this fight, and that there's a whole world of people, though hard to find, that would stand up for them._ _

__And she does believe her. At least for the moment anyway. “Thank you.” And it's a thank you for helping her when she was hurt, a thank you for not alerting MDA of their location, for keeping it a secret, for her service as a police officer, because as much as some of them suck, she has to think that they at least protect people. It's a thank you for standing behind her and her people, and it's a thank you for giving her some hope, even if she doesn't know it._ _

__Felicity glances over to Oliver, unsure of who this woman is to him, but impressed by him for keeping such great people in his inner circle. And she knows he's grateful for her too, because he gets it as much as she does._ _

__Mckenna reaches over to her, squeezing her forearm warmly, “It's no problem Felicity. Trust me. If you need anything, I'm your girl.”_ _

__Thinking on it, Felicity lets out a small smile on her face as she tilts her head, “Actually, there is one thing…”_ _

__**_ _

__“How does it look?” Felicity asks, self consciously reaching up to touch it as she awaits Mckenna’s reaction._ _

__Picking up the small hand mirror on top of the vanity of the bathroom attached to the bedroom Felicity had taken over, Mckenna smiles teasingly at her. Mirror faced away from her as she giggles, “Why don't you see for yourself?”_ _

__And then she's seeing her reflection. Her blues eyes, freckled face and pink lips, all topped by the now blonde texture of her long slightly curling hair._ _

__It'd taken almost 2 and a half bleachings and a bottle of toner but with the help of Mckenna, she'd been able to pull it off. Her natural hair color is lavender, a result of the X gene. But she's lucky enough to not have any other physical representations that she's a mutant. Some are born with features that make them easily identifiable as such, which makes hiding in plain sight almost impossible._ _

__Before the mansion had been attacked, whenever she was in high risk situations, she'd wear a wig so she wouldn't be recognized easily. But over the last 2 days, she'd come to the conclusion that for now, she has try something more permanent so that she can walk outside and not have MDA on her a moment after._ _

__Felicity spins around to stand in front of the full length mirror, not unfamiliar with herself as a blonde, but still rightly in shock because, well, it's her hair._ _

__She runs her hands through it, starting at her roots and stopping below her breast where her hair ends, taking note that not only can Mckenna suture wounds, but she could kill it as a hairdresser as well._ _

__Taking in a deep breath, she closes her eyes, psyching herself up before she opens them once again._ _

__This is her now, or at least for the time being._ _

__Spinning around to face Mckenna once more, Felicity expresses her gratitude. “Thank you so much, again.”_ _

__Making her way over to her, she stands a few feet away from her and shrugs, “I'm telling you. You have to stop saying thanks.”_ _

__“You have to stop being so good at doing things.” She fires back, delighted by this quick friendship she'd formed with the woman._ _

__“Wait till you find out I can't cook.”_ _

__“That's what Oliver's for anyways.”_ _

__Their laughter fills the bathroom, and her wound burns slightly but she ignores it, figuring she deserves this moment._ _

__When they've sobered themselves, Mckenna starts disposing of the used boxes of hair products they'd left on the vanity, “Speaking of cooking and Oliver, it's after 7. We should go see what he made.”_ _

__Once they're done, Felicity follows Mckenna out of her room, heading down the hall as the savory smell of whatever it is Oliver is cooking fills up the apartment._ _

__“You've outdone yourself this time, Chef Oliver,” Mckenna says teasingly, sitting at one of the two seats by the island. Felicity joins her, not really sure what to do or say, really. They're more familiar with each than they are with her and it's especially obvious when she's around both of them._ _

__So she's content to just sit and watch them. Oliver stirs whatever it is that's cooking on the stove in front of him, not turning towards them as he tells her the name of the dish in another language that sounds vaguely like French._ _

__Looking towards Mckenna, Felicity asks, “Was that French?”_ _

__Mouth stuffed with a leftover broccoli that had been on the island, she chokes out quietly to her, “Yep. Even though he hasn't been rich in a long time he just can't let go of that rich boy taste.”_ _

__Huffing out a breath, Felicity answers, vaguely, “The last time I ate something French was back at the mansion when I had french fries for lunch.”_ _

__Oliver’s deep laughter causes her to look up, and it's only when her eyes land on him does she realizes that he's just now seeing her - or rather, her hair._ _

__His neck is pivoted around to look at her, hands still on the spoon and pot, not moving as he surveys her. She can't for the life of her interpret what the hell is going on in his mind, but he's definitely shocked at the change._ _

__“God, Oliver I don't want drool in my food.”_ _

__Mckenna words have him spinning his head back around to what he'd been doing, but she doesn't miss the way the tip of his ears redden in embarrassment. A moment later he shuts off the stove, taking out 3 plates from one of the drawers before placing them down in front of them. He begins sharing the food - that she still doesn't know the name of - glancing up at her as he states matter of factly, “You're blonde now.”_ _

__“I am.”_ _

__He places the pot down once finished, plates filled with his creation as steam rises from each. It smells delicious. He slides one of them towards Mckenna, who dives in not a moment later, before sliding hers towards her._ _

__“It looks nice.”_ _

__Fighting the blush that's trying to redeem itself, Felicity replies, “Thanks.”_ _

__She's several bites into her food, listening vaguely as Oliver and Mckenna bicker on, TV playing quietly in the background, when the phone rings. Oliver gets up from where he'd been sitting by the dining table to answer it._ _

__“Hello?”_ _

__When he doesn't say anything for a while, Felicity looks towards him to find that he's already looking at her, mouth open in shock. Dread fills her stomach, and scenarios like MDA is right outside, or that it's Lance on the phone start flooding her mind._ _

__But then Oliver stutters out, “It's John,” and her world tilts on its axis._ _

__She's out of her seat in seconds, phone in her hand before she's even in front of him._ _

__“John?” she cries hesitantly, a tiny part of her in disbelief that it's him._ _

__“Felicity, it's me.”_ _

__“Oh my God.” The warm familiar sound of his voice nearly brings tears to her eyes, and her legs give out, not because of her injuries, but because hearing from him again has her weak in the knees. She somehow lands on the couch, squarely missing a wipe out on the hardwood floors._ _

__When her breathing is under control, her brain begins working on overdrive, questions flying from her lips as soon as they enter her thoughts._ _

__“Are you okay? Are the others okay? Did MDA find you? How's the bunker? Is the food and water supply running out? Did you-”_ _

__“Hey, hey, hey,” Diggle interrupts, “Let's take one thing at a time, please.”_ _

__She nods her head, only vaguely aware that he can't see her._ _

__“First, and most importantly, are you okay?” Diggle questions, voice calm and rational, but she knows him, so she doesn't miss the slight worry in his voice that he tries to hide._ _

__“Yes. Yeah, I'm fine. A little hurt, but good.” she stammers out._ _

__“And Oliver?” Diggle inquires. She looks over towards him, both him and Mckenna staring intently at her as they listen to the one side of the conversation they can hear, food forgotten._ _

__“He's fine too.”_ _

__“Good, that's good.” He sighs in relief, showing way more emotion that she thought he would._ _

__Tired of waiting, Felicity asks impatiently, “Are you okay? Is everyone okay?”_ _

__“We're fine. Truth be told, we've just been here worried about you,” he pauses for a moment before continuing, “Space is tight, and people are grumpy, but we got some lights up so it's not all grungy and dark. As for food and water, though I hope it won't come to that, I think we're good for at least a month.”_ _

__Felicity releases a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Technically, she knows they have enough supplies, she'd put them there in the first place, but logic had escaped her, as it does anytime things go horribly wrong._ _

__“Good. I asked if you were okay though John.”_ _

__His low sigh is audible through the phone, but he answers her, “I miss my girls, but I'm good. I just needed to make sure you were okay, and after days of trying, Dinah finally tracked you, so I got my wish.”_ _

__Her heart constricting within her chest, Felicity soldiers on, “I'll be there as soon as I can, I promise.”_ _

__But John refutes her, “No, look, you said you got hurt. Take care of yourself first you hear me? I don't want you out there if you're not at your best. So, make sure you're okay first. We're not going anywhere.”_ _

__She knows he's right, that it makes sense for her to make sure she’s better before attempting to get back, but this call had been a reality check. Here she is, eating a fancy French meal while her people are living in a underground bunker for the near future. She doesn't want to wait, doesn't feel like she deserves to have it this easy, but like she said, she knows that he's right. She can't help them if she still needs help._ _

__So Felicity whispers an, “Okay.”_ _

__“Look, you can call me back one more time on this burner, but only once. If anything, we'll have Dinah track you down once you're on the move again.”_ _

__Humming in agreement, Felicity breathes out slowly, preparing herself to say goodbye once more._ _

__“I'll get back to everyone as soon as I'm ready.” she adjusts, listening to the slight chuckle he lets out at her use of words._ _

__“Good. Please, be careful, and tell Oliver to look out for you, and you need to look out for him too.”_ _

__“I will,” she agrees, saying goodbye only after he says it first, and then he's gone._ _

__A moment of silence follows the end of the call, Felicity caught up in her mind as she processes the information she'd just been given._ _

__“Is everyone okay?”_ _

__It's Oliver that asks this, and when her eyes gain focus again, she realizes that he's kneeling in front of her. Forcing a smile on her face, she answers softly, “Yes, I guess.”_ _

__He nods as if he understands more than what she's saying out loud, but he doesn't get to ask whatever it is he'd opened his mouth to ask because a familiar British voice echoes from the TV that had been running quietly throughout the night._ _

__Her head spins around towards it, and the face she sees on the news broadcast has her floating towards the TV set up in seconds. She grabs the remote, turning up the volume as the program plays on._ _

__“... what they don't understand, and what they've failed to understand for years is that these people just want to live normal lives. How fair is it that just because I don't have the X gene, I just get a slap on the hand for a DUI, but a mutant gets thrown in the Detention Centre and is labelled a criminal?...”_ _

__“Who's that?” Mckenna interrupts, and Felicity glances around to see both her and Oliver watching the TV sharply._ _

__“That's Walter Steele. He used to be an advocate for the Xmen. Before MDA was formed, he and my mother, along with the others had made real progress into making real laws for mutant protection.”_ _

__On the TV, the woman who seems to be interviewing Walter questions, “With the recent discovery of the old mansion being used as their safety house, there's been talk that you knew they were there this whole time, seeing as you used to work with the Xmen.”_ _

__Walter’s British voice hardens in that way that's only made worse because it's so naturally warm and inviting, “And those allegations are false. Though, if I had known, I would've helped. None of these people deserve this. 20 years ago I would've done anything in my power for them. And it's still true today.”_ _

__The interview goes on to another topic, but his word run over in her head what must be a million times. She had thought that Walter had died, or at least that's what her mother had thought._ _

__“It'd be real sweet if you could convince him to help you guys,” Mckenna suggests, but Felicity doesn't look at her, turning her eyes towards Oliver instead. And she knows he's thinking exactly what she's thinking._ _

__They need to speak with Walter Steele._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens!
> 
> Don't forget to share your thoughts. I'd love to hear your theories (if you have any) and your feedback.

**Author's Note:**

> As of now I have no idea how often I'll be updating but please tell me how you feel about it so far in the comments or: you can find me at:  
> tumblr: [@emilyszuko](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/emilyszuko)  
> twitter: [@emilyszuko](https://twitter.com/emilyszuko)  
> to check for updates and also if you have any prompts or request, I'd be happy to write if I can.  
> Please, feedback it awesome.


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